Hussar armour bevor

A hussar armour bevor with a brass Maltese cross. The whole is surrounded by a border containing brass rivets. Poland, 17th century.

The hussars were a Polish cavalry of the national contingent, an exclusive form of cavalry of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. They were present on the battlefields from the beginning of the 16th century, until the mid-18th century. Hussars were used for crushing the enemy lines, and delivering the decisive blows with their charge.