The “Maximilian” style of armour, which superseded the “Gothic” or late fifteenth century style, seems to have originated at Milan, probably in the workshop of the Negrolis of Missaglia. It was modelled on--or suggested by--the civil costume of the time, and derives its name from the approval it received from the Emperor Maximilian (1493-1519). That monarch was distinguished above all the princes of his age for his fondness for warlike exercises, and for his skill and courage in the lists. The armour named after him is fluted, and is usually characterised by heavy-shoulder defences, and skirts of plate or lamboys.
The earliest pieces introduced into Spain by the Emperor’s son, Philip I., do not belong to this style; nor does the handsome suit (A16--plate 15), believed to be of Spanish make, and worn by the Prince, possibly at the tilt organised in his honour in the Zocodover in 1502. Of the heavy tilting heaulme forming part of the harness, the Conde de Valencia says:
“This handsome helm, to judge by the dimensions of the shutter, might be thought either Spanish or Italian; but in forming a definite opinion it must be remembered that it is marked with a _fleur-de-lys_, very similar to that of a _Chapeau de Montauban_, which we have seen in the Hefner collection at Munich.”
The cuirass, decorated with gold brocade, is composed of two stout plates of steel, tin-plated to prevent oxidation, the lower defending the body to the waist, and the upper or over-breastplate only protecting the breast down to a horizontal line of gilded nails. They are fastened together by a screw in the centre of a rosette of gilded and engraved metal. The cuirass is completed by a third plate, which covers the shoulder-blades, connecting with the backplate, and protects the shoulders from the pressure of the helm. It is all lined with brocade over strong canvas, and fits close with cords and tags like a corset.
“This remarkable breastplate for tilting is evidently Spanish. In addition to the Moorish character of the engraving and openwork adorning the central rosette, inside the plates is a mark which shows its Valencian origin. It is the tetragon with the Aragon bars, given as a shield of arms by James I. to the city he had conquered.”