Throwing down the gauntlet: 'iron hands' and the sixteenth century armourer.

Abstract

The work of sixteenth century 'medical armourers' in the manufacture of iron hands based on skills developed in the manufacture of armoured gauntlets is briefly explored. In order to illustrate their form and function, reference is made to an iron hand in the collection of the British Museum and a comparison is made with another example manufactured around the same period.