Lehnart, Ulrich: Clothing & Weapons of the Dürer Period 1480-1530

This book is the first volume of the final part of Ulrich Lehnarts costume history of the Middle Ages. It comprises the period between the end of the Middle Ages and early modern times. This era is particularly interesting in that both costume and armour underwent a gradual yet ultimately radical change. The changes in style in civilian and military fashion is a clear indicator that even in their outward appearance, men and women had entered a new period in time. The sheer abundance of general developments and individual aspects as well as the many pictorial sources have called for a structuring of this book into two parts. The volume at hand will thus concentrate on the costume and equipment of the German Landsknechts and their wives, the Swiss Reisläufers, the Reisigen light horsemen, and the knights. The first part of the book concerns itself mainly with the costume of the Landsknechts. The foot soldier is thus the first object of interest, followed by the arms and armour of the men who fought on horseback. The development and transition of German armour from the Baroque Gothic period to the early Renaissance is the subject of a careful and extensive analysis. Many pictures of either original or high-quality reconstructions of both smooth and fluted cuirasses form a large part of this books many illustrations. The weapons of the cavalry and for the first time also the edged weapons and polearms of the infantry form the topic of the last part of this work.