Hi

I have a question regarding the leather lining under the armor faulds. I saw some examples of the faulds on certain breastplates with these leather lining, and some without, and some has more than one leather lining. What is the purpose of such design? How does this affect the faulds in anyway?

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Thanks

Hello Edward,

If the "lining" in question is the leather tabs that can be seen in the photo you've posted, then that actually isn't lining. It's a strap and that one has been cut up. The insides of faulds were typically articulated using a series of leather straps mounted on the inside that allowed the faulds to have a bit of flexibility - as opposed to having the pieces riveted tightly together, essentially forming them into a solid surface.

See below for an extreme example from the late 16th century, and one that makes the need for articulation rather obvious... This particular piece also exhibits another form of articulated motion along the outer edge. These are sliding rivets, peened loosely and preserving free-motion in slotted holes. The two methods were often used in conjunction, but the leather strapping was far more common (especially prior to the mid-16th century). Cheers!

-Gregory

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Thanks for the reply.