The armour to defend the hand. Prior to the 14th century, the hand was defended with a
mail mitten. During the first half of the 14th century, gauntlets were introduced formed of small plates
riveted to
leather or cloth, what we call a brigandine gauntlet. Only a few examples survive, all from the Battle of Wisby find dating from 1361. By the middle of the 14th century, the "hourglass" gauntlet had been developed, where the
cuff flared to allow some wrist movement. Often the
metacarpal (back of the hand) and the cuff were decorated with additional pieces in brass or bronze, and also by
engraving . The fingers were defended either by scaled defenses and sometimes by
gatlings , which were like
poleyns for the finger knuckles. There are some references, most notably the Battle of San Romano, which indicate that this style of gauntlet might have been used, at least in Italy, into the second or even the third quarter of the 15th century. During the 15th century, this "finger gauntlet" style was replaced in the
Milanese style with a three-piece
"mitten" gauntlet that replaced the finger scales with two
articulating lames that provided more protection but less mobility. The cuff was extended and straightened, losing the flare of the hourglass gauntlet. In the German style, the cuff was also extended, but the plates were ornately
fluted and
decorated with piercework. The
Gothic gauntlet is made from many small plates intricately articulated together with a mixture of sliding and pivoting rivets. The fingers were still articulated using gatlings and scales. During the 16th century, this style was generalized into a more international style where the gothic cuff was shortened, the metacarpal created from as many as fifteen plates, and the fingers done in scale. A minor variant, the "locking" mitten , was designed for tournament use during the 16th century. No earlier examples survive, though there are references in manuscripts from the middle 14th century that mention such locking gauntlets.
