Cleveland Museum of Art

Pair of Stirrups

Date

1600s

Medium

brass

Culture

England (?), 17th century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

With the aid of stirrups, the knight could rise (especially during jousts) and, buttressed against the high cantle of the saddle, bend forward in order to gain the full advantage of the weight of his own armor and that of his horse. The footplate of the stirrup gradually became wider, as shown by these examples from the 1600s. Although more fragile than non-rotating systems, the swivel suspension eye allowed the stirrup leather to stay flat against the horse’s flank when it was in use.

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