Help needed to identify a makers(?) mark. -- myArmoury.com

Edvards Puciriuss

Hello! Can anyone identify this mark? On the German(?) breastplate, most likely the beginning of the 16th century.

Mark Lewis · Posted: Mon 28 Mar, 2016 4:51 am Post subject:

Hi Edvards,
Too bad the mark is in such poor condition. I think I can see the letters "IS"... assuming these are the armourer's initials, "I" would likely really represent "J" for Jorg. I have seen a couple other examples with these two letters, but of altogether different style overall.

Looking for a match for your mark I did find one that is of very similar style... but with different letters! The shape and beaded border appear to be the same... perhaps the damaged upper portion of your mark also showed a crown like this one does. This mark is also on a German breastplate of the same time period you identified.

Edvards Puciriuss · Posted: Tue 29 Mar, 2016 11:34 pm Post subject:

Thank's a lot. The second one looks very similar indeed. Do you have any reference for it, or maybe the image of the whole breastplate?

Mark Lewis · Posted: Wed 30 Mar, 2016 5:43 am Post subject:

The breastplate is in the Museum of Vienna (not the Kunsthistorisches Museum). My photos are taken from the thesis of Matthias Goll, which you can find online (very large document, with thousands of photos).

It seems to be a fairly basic, "munition" quality, infantry breastplate - doesn't appear to have ever been a lance-rest attachment. I'm curious to know if there is any resemblance with your breastplate... is it in your own collection, or one you have found in a museum or elsewhere?

Edvards Puciriuss · Posted: Wed 06 Apr, 2016 7:05 am Post subject:

I have seen Goll's thesis, but seems that i have missed that maker's mark.
The breastplate "my" mark comes from have been found during archaeological excavations at Cēsis Medieval Castle, Latvia. Now in the collection of Cēsis History and Art Museum.

Mark Lewis · Posted: Thu 07 Apr, 2016 5:23 am Post subject: