A beautiful three-quarter black and white armour dating: last quarter of the 16th Century provenance: Southern Germany, Interlocked helmet with skull made in one piece, provided with wide comb featuring a twisted edge. The skull worked with blackened and longitudinal lowered bands continuing on the raisable brim, which is cusped and featuring a twisted rope. Blackened beaver provided with two beaver plates with large, cross-shaped and rectangular air holes. The lower part of the helmet with an interlocking twisted channel between the skull and the braver. With iron plume-holder at the back. The internal part dyed in black and with remains of old coiets. Four-plate gorget, the upper plate with a fine, twisted rope, with blackened lowered bands, the relieved parts are iron-colored. Fine breast-plate with a quite pronounced tapul, with vertical bands and large, lowered, black-dyed areas. Thick neckline with a fine twisted decoration surmounting a mark. Complete brassards with asymmetrical pauldrons, worked en suite and with throat-guard. The right one strongly carved at the front and featuring a cusped wheel worked as a flower on a blackened background and with a roped edge en suite with the pauldron. The left plate of the shoulder decorated with a compass rose and small holes on a blackened background and with ropes worked en suite with the rest. Brassards worked with bands in relief on a blackened background. The gauntlets decorated likewise. The fingers scales are restored, as specified in the previous sale (see below). Back-plate worked en suite. Elegant complete knee-cop with the same decoration as the breast-plate and with ropes worked as the other parts of the armour. The black-colored parts are probably refreshed. A beautiful ensemble difficult to find in such a cohesive and good state. Exhibitions: Chateau de Laarne, 'Armes et Armures Anciennes', September - November 1968. n. 24 with picture.Provenance: Sotheby Park Bennet former sale, Zurich, November 25th, 1980, 'Important European Arms and Armour', lot 68, with picture. height as shown circa 140 cm.