For sale: $4,000.00 USD Will consider all reasonable offers.
I do not know much about armour and the following is described by only what I was told it was. The armour is for sale "as is." I have described it as best as my knowledge will allow me. If you know more about this piece, please feel free to pass on any information.
Some of the following information was given to me by helpful users in this forum and also with help from the Royal Armouries.
This armour is believed to have been made during the Victorian Era (1837 to 1901) and we feel it might be older, most likely as a tourist point of interest for placement in the foyers and halls of noblemen that visited the area. It is not a recent reproduction. It is a duplicate of a Venetian suit that was made during the 16th century. The name Marco Barbarigo appears on the chest plate of the armour with a coat-of-arms that is two lions holding a shield with what looks to be six harps engraved. It is believed that the original suit was designed for Barbarigo, even though the original would have been made the century after he was Doge (Duke) of Venice (1485).
On the neck guard of the helmet is written:
Pax Evan
Tibi Gelis
Marce Meus
The full version is "pax tibi, Marce, evangelista meus," which was spoken by an angel on the delivery of Saint Mark's bones safely from Alexandria in the ninth century. There is a lion that holds an open book with this phrase on it, which is usual for many things associated with Venice, Italy.
What I believe to be the armourer's mark (armourer unknown) appears on each shoulder, the hip plates, on the thighs and on the shins. This engraving is another suit with an open helm surrounded by spears. Each of these marks is different and the design of the spears pointing away does not match any of the other marks. What I can only describe as "ivy" is etched throughout the entire front of the suit. It surrounds all the different emblems and marks on the piece and is used to accent down the arms, and legs. It is clear that no patterns or traces were used to do these "ivy" engravings, as they are not symmetrical.
The suit is in fantastic condition and is a museum quality piece. A wonderful patina has formed over different areas. Again this suit was entirely handmade. Each item was hammered out, or at best, made with an English wheel. The edges of many of the plates, including the shoulders, chest, back, thigh guards, etc. were hand rolled. The engravings on the armour cover the chest plate, shoulder, arms, the front of the closed helm, thigh plates and legs. The rivets were hand made with a couple replaced by screws (which do not detract from the armour). The hinges that open and close for the forearm and calf are all handmade. The chest plate was made of one piece of metal by splitting the center and using an old style of welding to piece it back together. It is difficult to express the level of skill and expertise required by an armourer to create this masterpiece. It would be complicated to reproduce this suit in this manner and rather costly as well.
This is a true work of art and there are few metal smiths around today that would be able to accomplish such a task by hand. Pieces were added over the feet to allow the suit to sit properly on a mannequin but can easily be removed. The owner and custodian kept the armour in one of South Texas' premier men's clothing stores for the past 40 years, which was climate controlled.
Please contact me if you are interested. All payments must clear the bank before item is shipped. Shipping (and insurance) is to be paid by the buyer. I will ship worldwide. If you need a quote for shipping, let me know and I will try to get an approximate number.
I have included several photos. If there is something else you would like to see, let me know and I'll try to get it posted as quickly as I can or email it to you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Thanks
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arm
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arm2
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backplate
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bottomchest
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bottomhelm
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bottomhelm2
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calfhinge
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chest
