Breast Defense (Peytral) from a Horse Armor

Unknown

15th–17th century · Leather, iron, brass or copper alloy, silver, gold, shellac, pigments, textile, hair (yak) · Arms and Armor

In terms of its decoration, this peytral displays a far greater variety of motifs, executed in a more fluid and accomplished style, than any other comparable example of Tibetan horse armor. At the center of the upper section there is a Wish-Granting Jewel on a lotus throne flanked by symmetrical sprays of lush leafy stems and blossoms, and in the center of the lower section there is a Right-turning Conch Shell. The borders of the central sections are edged with silver wire, while the other sections have copper wire, both sewn in a fine chain stitch. Carbon-14 tests of the leather resulted in a date range of 1402 to 1626.

Artist

Unknown

Date

15th–17th century

Medium

Leather, iron, brass or copper alloy, silver, gold, shellac, pigments, textile, hair (yak)

Culture

Tibetan or Mongolian

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Purchase, Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Funds from various donors, by exchange, 1999