Cleveland Museum of Art

Elements from an Armor

Date

c. 1540–70

Medium

steel, leather bands; steel; steel and leather

Culture

Germany

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A full suit of armor comprises over a dozen different pieces. Here there are several elements including a burgonet, a gorget, pauldrons, and a breastplate. Popular throughout the 1500s and 1600s, the burgonet was a light, open headpiece favored by cavalry and infantry alike. Its main features are a peak over the eyes and hinged cheekpieces that fasten with a strap or lace under the chin. A gorget is an element of armor that protects the neck, throat, and upper part of the chest. It normally consists of two parts, front and back, joined by a hinge on the left shoulder and fastened with a stud on the right. A pauldron is a component of plate armor that covers the shoulder and often the armpit, and parts of the back and chest as well. The breastplate is an element that protects the chest and abdomen and is normally worn with a backplate. Although all these elements were accessioned together, they are not from the same original suit.

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