What is generally considered to be the latest time period in which stud and splint limb defenses were used? I seem to recollect specialized clothing like boots that had splints hidden in them for civilian defense that persisted into the 17th century.

The reason I ask is that I came across a painting by Hans Memling dated 1470 of the arrest of Christ in which a guard or guards seem to be wearing the type of stud and splint legs usually associated with the 14th century and no other period of which I am aware. The painting in question was found on www.wga.hu 's website, and I have attached detail shots of the three figures which seem to be depicted in stud and splint (although the detail on the left side of the second picture doesn't really show splints that I can discern, only the studs)

Is anyone aware of inventories etc. that would indicate that this style of armor persisted as late as the mid-late 15th century?

Is it possible that normal plate legs would have been decorated to resemble the stud and splint appearance?

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It's always difficult to be certain what's being portrayed. We know there were leather armors with splints and studs. We also know that there were poth leather and plate armors covered in fabric which used tightly spaced riveting to hold the cover.

Robert MacPherson started an interesting thread on Armour Archive which has a number of examples in art which might show similar pieces.
http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewto...p;t=176905

I know of a painting that shows splint like defenses without leather covering, more like a jack of chains for both arms and legs and normal splinted defense.

It's dated to around the mid 15th century and is from Portugal.

Nuno Gonçalves: Paineis de São Vicente de Fora


The second panel from the right: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Nu%C3%B1o_Gon%C3%A7alves_001.jpg

Shows a kneeling man/knight with gilded or brass arm splints.

The man in red standing behind him appears to have some kind of splinted leather arm defense too which is partly gilded or brass.




The third panel from the right shows several armed figures.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Lagos40_kopie.jpg


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Nuno_Gon%C3%A7alves._Paineis_de_S%C3%A3o_Vicente_de_Fora.jpg

The kneeling person with the green brigandine appears to have several splints covering his upper thigh and then connecting to his plate knee armor. From there on it appears as if a splint runs down the side of his lower leg

The other person has plate armor on his upper legs and knees but has a splint running down his lower leg, one is shown on the outside of his leg and the other on the inside of his other leg. I cannot discern one running along the front of his shin though. This person also has a splint protecting his upper and lower arm.


I'm not sure if this is the kind of splint armor you meant but I hope it helped.

Leaves from the Genealogy of the Royal Houses of Spain and Portugal, British Library Additional MS 12531, fo.8r; 1530-1534.
http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=add_ms_12531_f008r

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