Western Europe, probably England, Victorian period, ca. 19th century CE. A delightful, matched pair of steel armor glove gauntlets with brass rivets, leather liners, and etched designs. The gauntlets cover part of the forearm with a flared cylindrical shape, and the wrist area is composed of seven articulated plates with rivets holding them together. The thumb plate is attached by a small hinge to the wrist and the smaller finger plates extend from the back of the hand. Leather liners are riveted to each of the finger plates. The frontside of the gauntlets are decorated with swirling vines and floral motifs, designs that were likely created via the acid etching technique. These are a charming Victorian recreation of traditional plated gauntlets and were probably part of a full suit made to emulate Medieval Knight. The Victorians were fascinated by medieval life and made suits of armor to decorate their homes and capture the romanticism of a bygone age of chivalry. Size: 11.75" L x 4.75" W (29.8 cm x 12.1 cm)The process of acid etching involves coating the metal surface with an acid resistant substance, such as beeswax, and then removing the wax around the desired pattern to reveal the surface underneath. The armor is then dipped in a solution of acid and water. The bare areas corrode when exposed to the acid while the wax protects the rest. The piece is taken out of the solution once the desired amount of exposed metal is eaten away, leaving behind the slightly raised etched pattern. Provenance: ex-estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA acquired before 2000 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #158567