One of the most splendid examples of armour of the Decorative Period in Europe, or, as has been asserted, _the_ most splendid example, is the Ferrara demi-suit once belonging to Alfonso II., Duke of Ferrara, &c. _b._ 1553, _d._ 1597 (Fig. 402). The armour dates from _c._ 1570, and is probably the work of Lucio Picinino; it occupies a prominent position in the Wallace Collection, and asserts pre-eminence even in that wonderful aggregation of examples of beautiful workmanship. The pieces consist of a breastplate of the peascod variety with laminated goussets, and a backplate; a gorget of five lames and a tace of one plate, which could be removed if required from the breastplate; tassets, laminated pauldrons, brassarts, vambraces, and coudières. The entire design of this grand example of the armourer’s art is worked out by embossing from the back to surfaces of different levels, chasing and enriching with fine gold damascening, plating, and overlaying. The work is of remarkably even quality, and is at the present time in an excellent state of preservation. Examples of some of the decorations are given in the beginning of this work, where (to the number of four) they are inserted as ornamental head-and tail-pieces. [Illustration: FIG. 404.--Close helmet, Hatfield House, late sixteenth century.] A half-suit of armour dating from about the close of the sixteenth century is to be seen in the Wallace Collection. It is of North Italian manufacture and is adorned with vertical bands containing panels of classical figures, interlaced designs, trophies of arms and armour, &c. [Illustration: FIG. 405.--Italian armour, late sixteenth century. (Wallace Collection.)] [Illustration: FIG. 406.] [Illustration: FIG. 407.] The closed helmet (Fig. 406) has a skull-piece with a comb, and the chin-piece opens down the side; the very deep visor strengthens the front of the helmet and is pierced for sight, while the lower edge of the helmet articulates with the upper edge of the gorget (Fig. 407), which consists of three plates. The breastplate (Fig. 408) is slightly peascod in form, and is furnished with a massive lance-rest. The tace of one plate has tassets of three plates depending (Fig. 410), while the pauldrons (Fig. 411) consist of seven lames each. The suit was evidently intended for tilting purposes, as there are holes for the adjustment of various reinforcements, while the lance-rest of such strong proportions and the deep flange upon the inner side of the tassets only confirm the supposition. During the later years of the reign of Elizabeth the ordinary armour for fighting purposes assumed a character which is very familiar, inasmuch as it is depicted upon scores of brasses and modelled upon hundreds of effigies in all parts of the kingdom. Fig. 403, from the brass of Humphrey Brewster, 1593, at Wrentham, illustrates the style. [Illustration: FIG. 408.] [Illustration: FIG. 409.]