Sectional Tent Poles in 13th Century Spain and 16th Century Milan

Here and here we see erected tent poles with what look like decorated joints from 13th century Spain. Here, third row down, are similar poles broken down for transport by mule: note the protruding scarf joint of the wooden shaft. The image is from Cantiga 99 of the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X. Here is a larger view that annoyingly crops out the scarf joint on the poles.


Here is an image from Il Libro del Sarto, the work of a family of tailors in 16th century Milan. Each joint of the tent pole is a br. long. The Milanese bracio, seems to have been 59.5 cm, just under two English feet. 2/3 of the joint was ironwork, and the middle third shows the middle of a wooden scarf joint.

Very similar scarf joints survive on the the poles of George Washington's dining tent.