Half of a Morion

[fernando]

Oh ...i forgot to upload 'my' cuera setup. One exhibited in the Oporto Military Museum.


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[Jim McDougall]

Thanks Fernando!
I guess that is in a sense a 'cuera', literally. While leather versions of armor, much evolved from brigandines clearly evolved in the America's early, even in the earliest explorations, these were widely varied, and fashioned from layers of various rawhides stitched together.

The 'buff' coats as seen here, were also in use in England and elsewhere in Europe in this same manner, often under a cuirass.
The 'cuera' I was seeking an example of, then at the request of a small museum, was the form illustrated in the attached photos. The leather example (front and back) was a typical form used through the 18th century in the North American Southwest frontiers. This is I believe the one held in Madrid.
The depiction of the mounted soldado is with a shorter jacket version c. 1820s of the type found in the Smithsonian.

It was during this search that the unusual example I ended up researching was discovered in Arizona. It is believed that it had ended up with Comanchero traders and filtered through trades, finally falling into the hands of a guy in Arizona who eventually built a private museum. It was in deplorable condition, collapsed, and painstakingly restored. What was unique about it was that it was of cuir boulli, rather than the rawhide type, and in a classical form.

The cuera seem to have evolved from these buff type liners which effectively buffered the mail, which was far more common than the steel cuirass.
With mail, it however quickly deteriorated without proper maintainance, and was terribly ineffective against arrows which spread and broke the rings, especially if corroded and brittle. Soon the mail was discarded, and the leather took over. It seems much the same in degree with some helmet forms.

Interestingly, I have seen morions made in 17th c Italy of leather.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

...The depiction of the mounted soldado is with a shorter jacket version c. 1820s of the type found in the Smithsonian...

I remember and took a photo of the picture of this guy with the quilted leather vest and a leather shield, in San José Mission, while in our visit to San Antonio, back in 2018. The (bilingual) caption mentions it dates it circa 1803.

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

... I have seen morions made in 17th c Italy of leather.

I once had the previlege to 'touch' a small pear cabasset made of leather, for a young owner; certainly someone of high lineage, judging by the looks of it; its skull had engravings and the rosettes had the shape of infant motifs. It still had kept in a little bag its interior textile lining, in a fragile condition. What an experience.

[AHorsa]

What an interesting discussion, gentlemen!
I just found this contemporary depiction of a soldier wearing a (comb)Morion in the thirty years war.

Kind regards
Andreas

[fernando]

Großartig, Andreas .
So ... the Swiss also had it.

[AHorsa]

Originally Posted by fernando

Großartig, Andreas .

And the French, as this engraving of the Bartholomaeus-night in 1572 shows.

Kind regards
Andreas

[fernando]

As per François Dubois ---


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[gp]

Originally Posted by AHorsa

What an interesting discussion, gentlemen!
I just found this contemporary depiction of a soldier wearing a (comb)Morion in the thirty years war.

Kind regards
Andreas

just FYI: as the Netherlands are mentioned in one of the pictures (by van Stolk) , it was for us ( I am Dutch) the 80 year war 1568-1648 in which approx. 6 Sieges of Maastricht took place ( out of 28 from the city's complete history between Julius Cesar and Napoleon) in which it changed hands plural times between Spain and Holland.
Carlos V had his palace right on the square where Andre Rieu is now playing each year...☺

The most severest battle was when Farnese, the Duke of Parma, lead the Habsburgian forces ( a historical novel has been written titled "and then all hell broke loose").

FYI: the painting can be found in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez

[gp]

some more pics