Elements of an Armor

Unknown

ca. 1480–90 · Steel · Arms and Armor

Few complete armors have survived from the fifteenth century, making this one important despite its fragmentary condition. It was reportedly found in an Austrian church. The pieces were probably assembled in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century as a pious gift to be hung over the tomb of a knight. All the elements are characteristic of armor worn in central Europe and parts of western Europe in the late Gothic period. These include the separate head and neck defenses consisting of sallet and bevor, breastplate and backplate of overlapping sections, and cusped and channeled surfaces. The backplate is notable for its elegant silhouette and its fluting that imitates gathered folds of fabric.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1480–90

Medium

Steel

Culture

German or Austrian

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Gift of George D. Pratt, 1926