The suit A19 (plate 20) was made for Charles when he was a youth by Koloman Colman, surnamed Helmschmied, the famous armour-smith of Augsburg. It is known as the K. D. suit from the enormous monogram stamped on the pike-guard of the left-shoulder. The letters stand for Karolus Dux, Charles being at that time (about 1514) only Duke of Burgundy and Prince of the Spains. The whole suit conforms to the elegant simplicity of the earlier fashion, but the size of the left pauldron or shoulder-guard and the shape of the sollerets show the influence of the new.
The armour is of burnished steel, “soberly gilded and engraved.” The borders are adorned by diamond-shaped reliefs. The armet is of the pattern described under A1, but the side-pieces close in front of the chin; the visor has five rows of holes and slits for ventilation. There is no gorget, the interval between the helmet and the upper edge of the breastplate being defended by chain-mail. The breastplate has a ridge or tapul down the middle; it is roped at the edges, and decorated with the Collar of the Golden Fleece. Strong lance-rest, with the Imperial eagle and armourer’s mark. Attached to the taces are tassets of three plates. The space between them is incompletely defended by a narrow skirt of mail. At the armpits are gussets of mail. The right arm has an espalier, palette, rere-braces, coude, vambrace, and gauntlet; the left, the four last pieces, but instead of espalier and palette, a large pauldron with pike-guard, on which is engraved the monogram K. D. The coudes are very beautiful. The remaining pieces are: backplate, open cuisses, genouillères, jambs, and laminated sollerets, approximating to the bear’s-paw pattern that afterwards became fashionable.
This harness belongs to the best period of armour. The decoration is chaste and tasteful, and there is nothing superfluous or exaggerated in the whole suit. The armet could be strengthened by the usual reinforcing pieces. The other tilting-pieces, which might have been worn with this suit, are shown separately on the equestrian figure A26 (plate 21). Here we notice the armet with cheek-pieces opening at the sides, according to the system which now became general; laminated gorget; the enormous pauldron, elbow-guard, and gauntlet of the right arm; and the handsome garde-de-rein attached to the backplate. The cuisses have a fringe of mail at the knee, and the houghs are defended by decorated shields or rondels. The junction of the jambs and sollerets is similarly strengthened by mail.