Field and Tournament Armor of Johann Wilhelm (1530–1573), Duke of Saxe-Weimar

Jörg Sorg the Younger|Anton Peffenhauser

ca. 1565 · Steel, gold, brass, textile, leather · Arms and Armor

This armor consists of a mixture of pieces from a large and complex garniture for use in the field and in various forms of tournament. Its principal parts are now divided between the Historisches Museum, Dresden, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. As presently assembled, this armor is made up of elements designed for the field, joust, and foot combat tournament. It includes a close helmet, pauldrons (shoulder defenses), tassets (upper thigh defenses), and gauntlets for the field; a breastplate for the tilt (a joust in which a barrier separated two mounted contestants); and arm and leg defenses with closed joints for foot combat. The armor is attributed to Anton Peffenhauser (1525–1603), the leading armorer in Augsburg, and the etched decoration to Jörg Sorg the Younger (ca. 1522–1603).

Artist

Jörg Sorg the Younger|Anton Peffenhauser

Date

ca. 1565

Medium

Steel, gold, brass, textile, leather

Culture

German, Augsburg

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Gift of Helen Fahnestock Hubbard, in memory of her father, Harris C. Fahnestock, 1929