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German Renaissance metalwork, (1898). 'Figs 1-6:. Representations of armour from the Kabinet der Handzeichnungen alter Meister at Munich...Many weapons and armours, the surfaces of which are, with marvellous ingenuity and endless variety, decorated with scroll-work, frame-work and strap-work, were...for a long time believed to be works of the greatest Italian masters, who were thought to have made them chiefly at the French court. Some years ago, however, the surprising discovery was made, that the most and very finest of these objects were of German origin, German masters, above all, having been called by Francis I and Henry II [16th century] for that purpose to France. Part of these harnesses, shields, helms etc. are most splendidly decorated with complete figural representations, others with single figures, animals, birds, mythical beings as well as with flowers and scroll-work...The metal-plates were either etched, chased or damascened, more frequently however the designs were raised by embossment'. Plate 71 from "The Historic Styles of Ornament" translated from the German of H. Dolmetsch. [B.T. Batford, London, 1898] (KEYSTONE/HERITAGE IMAGES/The Print Collector)