"Early renaissance horse barding gendarmes" Topic

Early 16th century Gendarmes are often depicted riding barded horses, often with very rich and colourful design.
House barding then often consisted of plate armour in combination with mail.
Where these colourful designs painted on the metal plates or was in these cases the metal barding covered by a textile housing which was painted.

Based on Tapestries I've seen in France and Austria, I'd say it was, in most cases cloth over the metal. I have seen enameled armor, but it was mostly black enamel, not the rainbow colors associated with the Gendarmes.

Wouldn't cloth also keep the metal from heating up as much in the sun?

Most of the barding we see – especially that protecting the whole horse body – has actually leather beneath, not metal. No idea, however, wether it was laquered, painted, or covered with cloth.

Puster, do you mean that most barding was not of metal plates, but leather often covered with cloth?

Yep, at least with the Imperial forces. There are orders regarding barding made from buffalo leather (yep, Büffel) in the Regesta Imperii, the collection of Imperial documents on the web. Both bardings for Maximilian himself as stock orders for a hundred for his forces are mentioned.

I assume that the round body bardings we see so often on Renaissance horses are often (perhaps most of the time) leather bardings. Metal bardings (of which there are also many) are usually not covered but polished metal, just like the riders harnish. If that is clothed – as with some French depictions – the horse barding may be too, and thus could be metal.

Thanks Rich and Puster for the info.
Puster, was their still a kind of Heraldic tradition depicted on the barding or was this more often a matter of artistic freedom?
On pics I sometimes see Heraldic devizes depicted, but I don't know if this was common or only used by the higher nobility?

My knowledge does not go beyond looking hard at the contemporary pictures regarding the decoration of the bardings, but what I see is a multitude of decorations and embroiderment, with some heraldic motives showing up but not in any formalized style.

I assume that this was totally up to personal style, taste, artistic and fincancial abilities, which means that heraldic was included when it was important to the Knight and custom made for him – though you need to be on the rich end of the nobility for custom embroidered barding, and I assume that many of these could afford metal plate barding to start with.

I might err, but personal heraldic seems to be existant, but the exception rather then the norm (or even common).

The interesting question is if those leather bards were intended for use in battle or if they were only used as part of chivalric displays and parades?

The tests carried out by Dr. Allan Williams have shown that both leather and cuir bouilli provide limited protection, particularly against thrusts which easily penetrated buff leather as well as the cuir bouilli. It only took 30 Joules of energy to penetrate 5mm of cuir bouilli and it was also revealed to be brittle when hit by repeated impacts.

In 1504 Maximilian ordered 50 sets of armour and 100 sets of horse barding from "Büffelhaut" (buffalo hide, probably the northern European wisent), at a cost of 10fl per set.

I am not sure wether this number would be used for ceremonial use only (I also wonder wether armour sets can be used without personalization at all).

The contemporary depictions certainly show that most knights did not use bardings, though. Perhaps the main intention if used was that of the modern helmet – it does not work against direct attacks, but offers protection against low velocity missiles and glances.

BTW – direct link to the Regesti:
link

This also is the only order I could find for "gliger", horse bardings (except personal orders for Maximilian himself) in the Regesti, so these would not be too common – or usually taken care of by the knight himself.

A 100 sets would not be out of place for large scale cermonies, parades and displays for a ruler with Maximilians status. Even the impoverished king of Sweden could put on a display with 100 men-at-arms.

A full plate harness works best when fitted to one's measurements but between straps and arming garments it is possible to adjust the fit to a wider range of sizes.

I just realized that the above link does not work: link

The order was made in April 1504 (interstingly the order was made by Gabriel di Merate at Milano), when Maximilian assembled an army to intervene in the Landshut succession war. At this time he would definitely not waste money (that he had to beg for anyway – actually the letter IS a beg for 1800fl of the 2000 demanded for these bardings, and begging in Augsburg for armour made in Milano has a quality of its own) on ceremonial equipment.

This army would see action in the battle of Wenzensbach (or Schönberg), where the knights were beaten back by Bohemian mercenaries and only the Landsknechts under Frundsberg saved the day. The bardings were definitely neither decisive nor particularly helpfull.

There is a depiction by Altdorfer of this battle:

I am not sure when this was made, but the other equipment looks like Altdorfer tried to be authentic. The barding may well show the typical leather barding for the body with metal plating for the head and neck.

On the original question: note the heraldic on these bardings.

BTW: I just found out that di Merate was contracted in 1495 by Maximilian to create a weapon manufacture in Arbois, Burgund. It is likely that the order of 1504 was made there, rather then in Milano.

It is interesting to note that Maximilian's order for "büffel" bardings were placed with an Italian master armourer. According to Ian Heath cuir-bouilli bardings were common in Italy during the late 15th Century and were encountered during the 1494-95 invasion. Sadly he does not name any of his sources which for me makes the claim "plausible" but not confirmed.

The use of a mix of materials in the barding is an interesting idea. A chamfron, peytral and criniere in steel could be combined with a croupiere and flanchards in cuir-bouilli. This would give a high level of protection to the head and chest of the horse while providing a limited but real level of protection for the rear and sides. While it may have to be replaced after a battle due to being brittle but hard cuir-bouilli does provide a fair bit of protection against cuts. While it won't turn a full on blow by a halberd it will defeat glancing blows and poorly aimed slashes. Particulary those made by sidearms such as swords which lack the mass of polearms.

Thanks Puster and Daniel for picking up this discussion.
As Always your knowledge and interpretation of sources is of great help to me.

Daniel, from which book is this note by Ian Heath?

Armies of the Middle Ages, vol. 1 page 154-155m the text that discusses figure 142.

Getting the two vol. of Ian Heaths "Armies of the Middle Ages" for a sensible price is pretty high on my list of books to get – within the top 20 of currently some 2000 volumes :-/

I have yet to undig a good overview on the Burgundian wars after the death of Charles the bold, though, from 77 to perhaps 93, when Maximilian became Emperor. His biography by Wiesmüller is not bad, but a very limited perspective. Any hints would be most appreciated.

BTW: what we see in this depiction of Altdorfer is the death of the Hussite military tradition – and one of the last attempts by Knights to win a battle on their own. Their attempt to oust the Bohemian mercenaries from a defensible position failed.
A renewed coordinated assault by two Landsknechts columns and the nobles after some artillery preparation succeeded, with the Landsknechts having the larger part in it. The depiction shows pretty well the two columns, one formed by Landsknecht hired directly for the Imperial army and the column formed from contingents send as part of their imperial obligations by cities and leagues.
Both Frundsberg and Sittich von Ems won (among others) the attention of the Emperor and their knighthood that day as leaders of Fähnleins provided as part of the "Aufgebot", Memmingen in the case of Frundsberg. These two would prominently shape the Landsknechts in Imperial service for the decades to come.

Just got me a copy of this:
link

A book sketched by a knight on his tournament achievements between 1477 and 87, including pictures of him and his opponent for roughly some 20 jousts.

What is really remarkable is that his (tournament) barding is different for each event, and rarely has his family arms on it. He sports different mottos, geometrical patterns and occasionally profane iconography. Most unusual is probably a woman warming her bare backside before a stove. (Clad) Humand and animals seem to be usual depictions, like a bird within a cage, and in one case a living ape was chained to the horse behind the saddle.

Ian heath's books were amongst the first I obtained as a wargamer some 25 years ago.
Still good material.

Thanks again all of you for the input and interesting discussion.