Armor

Unknown

ca. 1520 and later · Steel, leather · Arms and Armor

At the turn of the sixteenth century, German armorers abandoned the slender lines of the late Gothic style and adopted the fuller, more rounded forms favored in Italy. In the new style, the shallow parallel channels that covered almost the entire armor were not only decorative but actually strengthened the metal. This is often referred to as "Maximilian style" because it was introduced during the time of Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519). Fluted armor appears to have been a specialty of Nuremberg. On this armor the two-piece construction of the breastplate and its pierced decoration, while standard on German Gothic armors, is highly unusual for this period. The waistplates and tassets (upper thigh defenses) are of a later date. The breastplate is stamped with the maker's mark: in a shield, a half lion or a bear above the letters L.B.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1520 and later

Medium

Steel, leather

Culture

German, Nuremberg

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Gift of Alan Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, 1949