[Illustration: FIG. 282.--German type of salade and armour, 1450.] [Illustration: FIG. 283.--German schallern, _c._ 1480.] [Illustration: FIG. 284.--Early Italian armet, _c._ 1450.] _The Armet._--Towards the end of the Tabard Period the armet was introduced into England, and partially superseded the salade and other forms of head-protection. The origin of this helmet and the derivation of the name are equally involved in obscurity; but it probably first saw the light in Italy, and gradually spread through Germany into England. “Armet” may be derived from “elmetto” or “armetto,” little helm, or “heaumet,” the diminutive of “heaume.” The essential difference between the armet and all those head-pieces which antedated it was that, while the older styles had been put on by lowering them over the head and the weight had in nearly all cases been borne by the head, the armet opened out in its lower part upon hinges, and could thus be closed round the head and neck, while the weight was transferred to the gorget and thence to the shoulders. It was in all respects neater, lighter, and handier than either the salade or the bascinet, while providing a fine defensive form for both head and neck. The armets, like the bascinets, had in their earlier stages a camail attached by a row of vervelles (Fig. 284) and a reinforcing piece upon the forehead. The same pin and hinge arrangement peculiar to the bascinet is used for affixing the visor, which latter, by falling, secures the opening of the helmet in front, at the same time forming the occularium by leaving a space between its upper edge and the lower edge of the reinforcement covering the forehead. Under the hinges or pivots of the visor are the upper parts of the two chin-pieces, hinged to the crown, which overlap in front and are strapped together at the chin. At the back occurs a tailpiece from which projects a short stem to which is attached a flat disc, probably to protect the back of the helmet, which was its weakest part. An example in the Wallace Collection (Fig. 285), dating from 1470, has the stem remaining but not the roundel, while the holes for attaching the camail are well seen. The pivots for the visor are in the reinforcement in this case. Another armet from the same collection has the pointed visor and bavière in one plate, while the roundel is shown at the back (Fig. 286), and the latter example shows the camail superseded by the laminated gorget with which the armet articulated. Fig. 287 also has the disc in position; it dates from 1480, is without any reinforcing piece upon the forehead, and the occularium is contained in the visor. No. 46 suit of armour in the Wallace Collection has an armet dating probably from 1490, with pointed visor and bavière in one piece; the neck portion is furnished with a hollow roping running round it, which fits upon and grips the upper lame of the gorget, which being perfectly circular, like the neck