11-28-2007, 12:35 AM
Wish I could help you Chuck, but aside from Raymond most sources I know of are custom work and will probably end up much more accurate and prettier while cost you more. If Raymond doesn't have it I recommend you contact him since he is very available when it comes to custom work.
Thanks Martin. Very good article and much closer to ideas I was thinking of. Most people did not really think of the Byzantine sources in correlation, especially at the time of the find. Since then we've learned that Northern Europe was nowhere near as isolated as previously thought and this gets expanded on all the time. Personally I find that form of armour chest binding very plausible, though I think it possible that it could have bound a leather overgarment over the maille instead of a stiff leather breastplate. With the lack of material clinging to the clasps I am surprised that I've never heard anyone theorize that the clasps could have just been placed as ornamentation since they were detachable. Of course the nothing idea is probably the most boring.
Thanks Martin. Very good article and much closer to ideas I was thinking of. Most people did not really think of the Byzantine sources in correlation, especially at the time of the find. Since then we've learned that Northern Europe was nowhere near as isolated as previously thought and this gets expanded on all the time. Personally I find that form of armour chest binding very plausible, though I think it possible that it could have bound a leather overgarment over the maille instead of a stiff leather breastplate. With the lack of material clinging to the clasps I am surprised that I've never heard anyone theorize that the clasps could have just been placed as ornamentation since they were detachable. Of course the nothing idea is probably the most boring.
Derek D. Estabrook
