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A gorget , from the French ' meaning
throat In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It contains the pharynx and larynx. An important section of it is the epiglottis, separating the esophagus from the trachea (windpi ...
, was a band of
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and ho ...
collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...
to protect the
throat In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It contains the pharynx and larynx. An important section of it is the epiglottis, separating the esophagus from the trachea (windpi ...
, a set of pieces of
plate armour Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, ...
, or a single piece of plate armour hanging from the neck and covering the throat and chest. Later, particularly from the 18th century, the gorget became primarily ornamental, serving as a symbolic accessory on military uniforms, a use which has survived in some armies. The term may also be used for other things such as items of jewellery worn around the throat region in several societies, for example wide thin gold collars found in prehistoric Ireland dating to the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
.


As part of armour

In the High Middle Ages, when
mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...
was the primary form of metal body armour used in Western Europe, the
mail coif A mail coif is a type of armour which covered the head. A mail coif was a flexible hood of chain mail that extended to cover the throat, neck and the top part of the shoulders. They were popular with European fighting men of the Middle Ages. H ...
protected the neck and lower face. As more plate armour appeared to supplement mail during the 14th century, the
bascinet The bascinet – also bassinet, basinet, or bazineto – was a Medieval European open-faced combat helmet. It evolved from a type of iron or steel skullcap, but had a more pointed apex to the skull, and it extended downwards at the rear an ...
helmet incorporated a mail curtain called the
aventail An aventail () or camail () is a flexible curtain of mail attached to the skull of a helmet that extends to cover the throat, neck and shoulders. Part or all of the face, with spaces to allow vision, could also be covered. The earliest camail ...
which protected the lower face, neck and shoulders. A separate mail collar called a "pisan" or " standard" was sometimes worn under the aventail as additional protection. Towards the end of the 14th century, threats including the increased penetrating power of the lance when paired with a lance rest on the breastplate made more rigid forms of neck protection desirable. One solution was a standing collar plate separate from the helmet that could be worn over the aventail, with enough space between the collar and helmet that a man-at-arms could turn his head inside it. In the early 15th century, such collar plates were integrated into the helmet itself to form the great bascinet. Other forms of helmet such as the sallet which did not protect the lower face and throat with plate were paired with a separate bevor, and the armet was often fitted with a wrapper that included gorget lames protecting the throat. The mail standard was still worn under such bevors and wrappers, since the plates did not cover the back or sides of the neck. At the beginning of the 16th century, the gorget reached its full development as a component of plate armour. Unlike previous gorget plates and bevors which sat over the cuirass and also required a separate mail collar to fully protect the neck, the developed gorget was worn under the cuirass and was intended to cover a larger area of the neck, nape, shoulders and upper chest, from which the edges of the backplate and breastplate had receded. The gorget served as an anchor point for the pauldrons, which either had holes in them to engage pins projecting from the gorget, or straps which could be buckled to the gorget. The neck was protected by a high collar of articulated lames, and the entire gorget was divided into front and back pieces which were hinged at the side so that the gorget could be put on and taken off. Some helmets had additional neck lames which overlapped the gorget, while others formed a tight seal with the rim of the gorget to eliminate any gaps. By the 17th century there appeared a form of gorget with a low, unarticulated collar and larger front and back plates which covered more of the upper chest and back. In addition to being worn under the breast & backplates, as evidenced by at least two contemporary engravings, they were also commonly worn over civilian clothing or a buff coat. Some gorgets of this period were "parade" pieces that were beautifully etched, gilded, engraved, chased, embossed or enameled at great expense. Gradually the gorget grew smaller and more symbolic, becoming a single crescent shape worn on a chain which suspended the gorget ever lower on the chest, so that the gorget no longer protected the throat in normal wear. The Japanese (
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600), medieval and Edo period, early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retai ...
) form of the ''gorget'', called a nodowa, was either fastened by itself around the neck or came as an integral part of the face defence or ''men yoroi''. It consisted of several lames made of lacquered leather or iron, each of which either consisted of one piece or of scales laced together in horizontal rows. The lames were articulated vertically, overlapping bottom to top, by another set of silk laces.


As part of military uniforms

During the 18th and early 19th centuries, crescent-shaped gorgets of silver or silver gilt were worn by officers in most European armies, as a badge of rank and an indication that they were on duty. These last survivals of armour were much smaller (usually about three to four inches in width) than their Medieval predecessors and were suspended by chains or ribbons. In the British service they carried the Royal coat of arms until 1796 and thereafter the Royal Cypher. Gorgets ceased to be worn by British army officers in 1830 and by their French counterparts 20 years later. They were still worn to a limited extent in the
Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the ...
until 1914, as a special distinction by officers of the
Prussian Gardes du Corps The Gardes du Corps (''Regiment der Gardes du Corps'') was the personal bodyguard of the king of Prussia and, after 1871, of the German emperor (in German, the ''Kaiser''). The unit was founded in 1740 by Frederick the Great. Its first commander ...
and the 2nd Cuirassiers "Queen". Officers of the Spanish infantry continued to wear gorgets with the cypher of King Alfonso XIII in full dress, until the overthrow of the Monarchy in 1931.
Mexican Federal army The Mexican Federal Army ( es, Ejército Federal), also known as the Federales in popular culture, was the military of Mexico from 1876 to 1914 during the Porfiriato, the long rule of President Porfirio Díaz, and during the presidencies of Francis ...
officers also wore the gorget with the badge of their branch as part of their parade uniform until 1947. The gorget was revived as a uniform accessory in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, seeing widespread use within the German military and Nazi party organisations. During World War II, it continued to be used by '' Feldgendarmerie'' (military field police), who wore metal gorgets as emblems of authority. German police gorgets of this period typically were flat metal crescents with ornamental designs that were suspended by a chain worn around the neck. The Prussian-influenced
Chilean army The Chilean Army ( es, Ejército de Chile) is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade. In recent years, and a ...
uses the German style metal gorget in parades and in the uniform of their Military Police.


In Sweden

As early as 1688, regulations provided for the wearing of gorgets by Swedish army officers. For those of captain's rank the gorget was gilt with the king's monogram under a crown in blue enamel, while more junior officers wore silver-plated gorgets with the initials in gold. The gorget was discontinued as a rank insignia for Swedish officers in the
Swedish Armed Forces The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internat ...
in 1792, when
epaulette Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scales ...
s were introduced. The gorget was revived in 1799, when the Officer of the day was given the privilege of wearing a gorget which featured the Swedish lesser coat of arms. It has since been a part of the officer's uniform (when he or she functions as "Officer of the day") a custom which continues. File:Ringkrage - Livrustkammaren - 5040.tif, Early Swedish gorget from the time of king
Charles XI of Sweden Charles XI or Carl ( sv, Karl XI; ) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721). He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein ...
for a colonel. File:Rinkrage löjtnant.jpg, Gorget in silver for ensigns and lieutenants of the Swedish Army, with the royal cypher of Gustav III
Swedish Army Museum The Swedish Army Museum ( sv, Armémuseum) is a museum of military history located in the district of Östermalm in Stockholm. It reopened in 2002 after a long period of closure, and was awarded the title of the best museum of Stockholm in 2005. ...
. File:Ringkrage kapten.jpg, Gorget, silver gilt, for a captain with the royal cypher of Gustav III in enamel. Swedish Army Museum. File:Ringkrage överste.jpg, Gorget, silver gilt, for majors, lieutenant-colonels and colonels of the Swedish Army, with the royal cypher of Gustav III and two palm branches, all enameled. Swedish Army Museum. File:Arvid Horn drabant.jpg, Arvid Horn in a uniform with a gorget for the captain lieutenant of the Kunglig Majestäts drabanter, the gorget with the royal cypher of
Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line o ...
, ca 1706. File:Peter Lilliehorn.jpg,
Peter Lilliehorn Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
in the uniform and gorget of a major at the Kalmar Regiment, the gorget with the royal cypher of Frederick I of Sweden, 1727. File:Dagbricka m1799 officer.jpg, Swedish gorget model 1799 for the officer of the day. Swedish Army Museum.


Norway and Finland

The same use of the gorget also continues in Norway and Finland, worn by officers or corporals responsible for guard changes and "Inspecting Officers" (officer of the day). The officer of the day of a company (Finnish: ''päivystäjä'') is usually a non-commissioned officer (or even a private), who guards the entrance and is responsible for security within company quarters.


Other peoples

Gorgets made of shell, as well as stone and copper, have been found at archaeological sites of various ages associated with mound building cultures of Eastern North America, going back thousands of years. upInfluential Seminole leader Osceola wearing three metal gorgets in a portrait by George Catlin">Osceola.html" ;"title="Seminole leader Osceola">Seminole leader Osceola wearing three metal gorgets in a portrait by George Catlin. The British Empire awarded gorgets to chiefs of American Indian tribes both as tokens of goodwill and a badge of their high status. Those being awarded a gorget were known as gorget captains Gorgets were also awarded to African chiefs. In colonial Australia gorgets were given to Aboriginal people by government officials and pastoralists as insignia of high rank or reward for services to the settler community. Frequently inscribed with the word "King" along with the name of the tribal group to which the recipient belonged (despite the absence of this kind of rank among indigenous Australians), the "breastplates", as they came to be known, were highly regarded by those who received them.


Gorget patches

The scarlet patches still worn on each side of the collar of the tunics of
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
general officers and senior officers are called "gorget patches" in reference to this article of armour. There were two types - the first, red with a crimson centre stripe, were for Colonels and Brigadiers, and red with a gold centre stripe for General Officers. Today, they signify an officer of the General Staff, to which all British officers are appointed on reaching the rank of Colonel. With limited exceptions such as senior officers of the Army Medical and Dental Corps, the historic colour differentials are no longer worn in the British service. However, the historic colours are still used in the gorget patches of the Canadian Army.
Air officer An air officer is an air force officer of the rank of air commodore or higher. Such officers may be termed "officers of air rank". While the term originated in the Royal Air Force, air officers are also to be found in many Commonwealth nations ...
s in the Indian and Sri Lankan air forces also wear gorget patches with one to five stars depending on their seniority. RAF officer cadets wear white gorget patches on their service dress and mess dress uniforms. Very similar collar patches are worn by British army officer cadets at Sandhurst on the standup collars of their dark-blue "Number One" dress uniforms. These features of modern uniforms are a residual survival from the earlier practice of suspending the actual gorgets from ribbons attached to buttons on both collars of the uniform. Such buttons were often mounted on a patch of coloured cloth or gold embroidery.


Modern versions

Recent advances in protective armour have led to the functional gorget being reintroduced into the US Army and Marine
Improved Outer Tactical Vest The Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) is an enhanced version of, and a replacement for, the older Outer Tactical Vest (OTV) variant of the Interceptor Body Armor, as fielded by the United States Army. The IOTV is compatible with the Deltoid and ...
and
Modular Tactical Vest The Modular Tactical Vest (MTV or MoTaV) is a ballistic vest originally adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 2006. The MTV was designed as a solution to shortcomings in the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) and was selected after a rigorous ...
systems respectively.


Other uses

The state flag of South Carolina features a crescent in the upper left quadrant which now resembles a crescent moon, but which some oral traditions have suggested may have once represented a gorget. The state flag derives from a flag designed by Colonel William Moultrie in 1775 with a blue ground and crescent based on the uniforms of the Second South Carolina Regiment, who wore a crescent with the tips pointing up on their hats. Through the 19th century, the crescent on the state flag also appeared with the tips pointing up, and it was not until the 20th century that it was turned on its side to resemble a crescent moon. The mystery of its original meaning is still unresolved, and the crescent as it appears on the modern state flag is normally interpreted as a moon. The term also refers to a patch of coloured feathers found on the throat or upper breast of some species of birds.


See also

*
Shell gorget Shell gorgets are a Native American art form of polished, carved shell pendants worn around the neck. The gorgets are frequently engraved, and are sometimes highlighted with pigments, or fenestrated (pierced with openings). Shell gorgets were mos ...


References


External links


Australian Aboriginal breastplates
{{Plate Armour Medieval armour Body armor Western plate armour Military uniforms Neckwear