Beschreibung:

A COMPOSITE ITALIAN FIELD ARMOUR WORN AT THE EGLINTON TOURNAMENT, 1839, BY CAPTAIN J.O. FAIRLIE OF COODHAM AS THE KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN LION COMPREHENSIVELY MID-16TH CENTURY WITH LATER ADDITIONS COMPRISING HEAVY CLOSE-HELMET WITH ONE-PIECE SKULL WITH LOW ROPED COMB BETWEEN TWO PAIRS OF FLUTES, THE OUTER ONES WIDENING TO FORM CENTRAL POINTS, ON EACH SIDE A CIRCLE OF SMALL VENTILATION/HEARING HOLES, RIVETED LATTEN PLUME-HOLDER ENGRAVED WITH FOLIAGE AT THE REAR, VISOR WITH STEPPED SIGHT AND LIFTING PEG (REPLACED) AND UPPER- AND LOWER-BEVOR PIVOTED AT THE SAME POINTS, SPRING VISOR-CATCH AND VISOR SUPPORT ON THE RIGHT, AND TWO GORGET-PLATES AT FRONT AND REAR, GORGET, FLATTENED BREAST-PLATE WITH LOW MEDIAL RIDGE, THE BOTTOM MADE AS A SEPARATE ARTICULATED PLATE FLANGED FOR THE ATTACHMENT OF THE SKIRT, BOLD ROPED TURNS AT THE NECK AND MOVEABLE ARM-HOLE GUSSETS, THE FORMER ABOVE A RECESSED BAND DIVIDING INTO TWO CONVENTIONALISED SCROLLS, AND LATER HINGED LANCE-REST, LATER SKIRT OF TWO PLATES AND TASSETS OF FIVE, BACK-PLATE (PATCHED INTERNALLY) WITH LATER EMBOSSED SCROLLS AND CULET OF THREE PLATES, FULL ARM-DEFENCES, LATER MITTEN GAUNTLETS, LEGHARNESS, SABATONS AND SPURS, THE MAIN EDGES TURNED AND ROPED THROUGHOUT: MOUNTED ON A WOODEN STAND AND ACCOMPANIED BY A LATER HEAVY IRON GRANDGUARD PAINTED WITH A SHIELD WITHIN SCROLLWORK AND BEARING A GOLDEN LION (WORN), AND AN EGLINTON TOURNAMENT FLUTED WOODEN LANCE PAINTED BLACK AND YELLOW AND WITH DISC-SHAPED TIP FACED WITH CORK (BROKEN AND REPAIRED WITH A CLOTH BINDING, SLIGHT WORMING) ON 28, 29 AND 30 AUGUST 1839, A SPECTACULAR ATTEMPT TO HOLD A MEDIEVAL TOURNAMENT TOOK PLACE AT EGLINTON CASTLE, AYRSHIRE. ORGANISED BY ARCHIBALD WILLIAM, 13TH EARL OF EGLINTON (D. 1861) WITH THE AID OF HIS HALF-BROTHER SIR CHARLES LAMBE (D. 1860) IN REACTION AGAINST QUEEN VICTORIA'S CUT-PRICE CORONATION ON 28 JUNE, 1838, FROM WHICH THE MEDIEVAL CORONATION BANQUET WAS DROPPED, IT WAS A FAILURE BECAUSE OF THE TORRENTIAL RAIN THAT SWAMPED THE PROCEEDINGS ON THE FIRST DAY. AMONG THE 14 PRINCIPAL KNIGHTS WHO JOUSTED WAS THE OWNER OF THE PRESENT ARMOUR, CAPTAIN JAMES OGILVY FAIRLIE OF COODHAM (1809-1870), WHO APPEARED AS THE KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN LION, AND ON THE LAST DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT - THE ONLY FINE ONE - OBTAINED THE HIGHEST SCORE. IT WAS NO DOUBT ON THIS OCCASION THAT THE LANCE WITH THE PRESENT LOT WAS BROKEN FAIRLIE ACQUIRED THIS 'SUIT OF POLISHED PLATE ARMOUR' IN 1838 FROM THE LONDON DEALER SAMUEL LUKE PRATT, WHO SUPPLIED MANY OTHER THINGS FOR THE TOURNAMENT, AND HAD IT PAINTED BLACK WITH GOLD SCROLLS FOR THE OCCASION. THE PAINTING, EXCEPT THAT ON THE GRANDGUARD, WAS REMOVED IN 1964. A PHOTOGRAPH OF FAIRLIE WEARING THE ARMOUR IN THE POSSESSION OF HIS DESCENDANTS REPRODUCED IN VAN DYCK IN CHECK TROUSERS , P. 107, SHOWS HIS LEGS COVERED ONLY BY THIGH-BOOTS, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THE PRESENT LEG-DEFENCES WERE ADDED AFTER THE TOURNAMENT