mainfaire

English

Noun

mainfaire (plural mainfaires)

1. Alternative form of manefaire (“horse's neck armor”)
   • 1901, Wallace Collection (London, England), Sir Guy Francis Laking, Catalogue of the European Armour and Arms in the Wallace Collection at Hertford House, page 127:

     464. Demi-chanfron, with central spike in the middle of the forehead, hinged crinière at the top. Dec.: none. Attached is a mainfaire of eleven arched plates with rounded ends; each plate is pierced on either side with an oblong opening.This will considerably lighten the mainfaire, and make little difference in the strength of the plates. Italian, about 1580.

   • 1907, Albert Frederick Calvert, Spanish Arms and Armour: Being a Historical and Descriptive Account of the Royal Armoury of Madrid, page 134:

     Saddles, chanfrons, and mainfaires of both bards are preserved, these sets being that of the dragon chanfron on the horse A190, and that with the inlaid work on the present figure; but the cruppers and poitrels of both have been  […]

   • 1910, Henry Morse Stephens Collection, page 183:

     Complete Guard for a Horse's Head and Neck (Chanfron, with Hinged Crinet and Mainfaire of twelve plates). The borders are slightly roped. The inside edges of the eye apertures are guarded by narrow flanged plates rivetted on.
     […] , with radiating curved slightly sunken bands, from the centre to the edge of the chanfron, etched with birds, satyrs, and scrolls, gilt on a blackened ground. The same decoration borders the plates of the mainfaire, down each side of which is a vandyked fringe of mail; this has been added, and is of […]

   • 1957, Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research:

     It was usually attached to the Mainfaire, which covered the horse's mane and the neck.