Armpit collar

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The armpit collar is a piece of armor of Central European origin that was used in the 16th and 17th centuries and was used to protect the neck and upper arms.

description

The armpit collar appeared around 1530 as a cost-effective connection between armpit and armor collar in German-speaking countries. In accordance with its comparatively low production costs, the armpit collar was mainly worn with mass-produced armor types such as the servant armor of the gauntlet and the trot armor of the light rider. The armpits, which were pushed several times , that is, made up of movable steel strips or “sequences”, often reached to the elbows and were fastened to the upper arms with leather straps. So that the collar could be opened, one of the armpits was only riveted to his neck piece, but only clicked into the front section, known as the neck piece. Combined with armored sleeves and long iron gloves, the armpit collar replaced the armaments that were omitted from the armor types mentioned .

Due to the lively export of harnesses, the armpit collar found widespread use in large parts of Europe, although the name Almain collar ("German collar") , which is common in England, indicated its origin. In the light cavalry formed by the arquebusier riders it remained in use until the end of the 16th century, when it was gradually replaced by the ring collar . As part of the pikemen's armor, which emerged from the servant's armor , the armpit collar was also used by the heavy infantry, but at the turn of the 17th century there was also a tendency to reduce it to the ring collar. In some cases, however, this development began much later, which was particularly true of the imperial infantry. So the imperial pikemen did not take off the armpit collar until the 1660s.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Blair: European Armor. 1958, p. 127.
  2. ↑ Beaufort-Spontin: Harnisch and Weapon of Europe. 1982, p. 79.
  3. ↑ Beaufort-Spontin: Harnisch and Weapon of Europe. 1982, p. 119.

literature

  • Christian Beaufort-Spontin : Armor and weapon of Europe. The military equipment in the 17th century (= library for lovers of art and antiques. Vol. 57). Klinkhardt & Biermann, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-7814-0209-6 .
  • Claude Blair: European Armor circa 1066 to circa 1700. Batsford, London 1958.
  • Harry Kühnel (Ed.): Picture dictionary of clothing and armor . Kröner, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-520-45301-0 .