Product description
High Gothic besagews or besagues (rondels), based on a historical example from Germany dated to 1472 AD.
Besagews are a type of rondel designed to protect the armpits as part of a suit of armor. The besagews of Gothic armor were decorative but primarily intended to shield the armpits and upper arms from powerful cuts and strikes. The increasing effectiveness of offensive weapons created a need for improved protection, and every effort was made to close the vulnerable gaps between armor plates. The armpits contain the axillary arteries, making their protection vital. Armor without besagews could instead use larger types of pauldrons as shoulder protection.
The rondels are made from approximately 1.2 mm thick steel. They feature a leather strap on the back for attachment to plate armor or a hauberk. The front is decorated with forged leaf motifs characteristic of the period and has a sharp central point, as rondels at the time could also be used as offensive weapons.
