Breastplate

Valentin Siebenbürger

ca. 1530–35 · Steel · Arms and Armor

The armorer Valentin Siebenbürger is recorded from the 1530s to the 1550s with commissions for the city of Nuremberg and several noble clients, including Emperor Charles V. This breastplate is important as an example of his work, particularly for its lively and inventive etched decoration. In quality and rarity, it is the single best item from the Ellis Collection, which was donated to the Metropolitan Museum in 1896.

Artist

Valentin Siebenbürger

Date

ca. 1530–35

Medium

Steel

Culture

German, Nuremberg

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

John Stoneacre Ellis Collection, Gift of Mrs. Ellis and Augustus Van Horne Ellis, 1896