Close Hemet for a Cuirassier

Unknown

ca. 1620–30 · Steel, copper alloy · Arms and Armor

During the seventeenth century, widespread use of firearms and artillery transformed military strategy. In numbers and tactical importance, infantry armed with muskets superseded the fully armored cavalry that had dominated European battlefields for centuries. In response, armor developed into different forms: lighter armor designed for mobility and heavier armor intended to be bulletproof. Alongside firearms, swords remained principal weapons, and were often elaborately decorated as signs of wealth, rank, and social status.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1620–30

Medium

Steel, copper alloy

Culture

probably Flemish

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1909