Tournament Sallet (Rennhut) with Buffe

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This type of helmet, called a sallet, was part of a complete jousting armor. Its buffe (lower face and neck guard) would be bolted down over the breastplate to bolster the jouster against heavy blows from an opponent’s lance. The ensemble formed part of a group of locally made jousting armors that stocked the Duke of Saxony’s armory. Members of the duke’s court used them on festive occasions. Records show that they continued to be used for over three hundred years, long after most courts had abandoned the sport.

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