Collection record · Objects & craft
Breastplate
The collection record classifies this work as arms and armor. It is dated c. 1550. Recorded culture or place: Germany, Nuremberg.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Breastplate
- Date
- c. 1550
- Culture / origin
- Germany, Nuremberg
- Materials and technique
- steel with etched figure kneeling before Crucifixion
- Dimensions
- Overall: 31.3 x 35 x 20 cm (12 5/16 x 13 3/4 x 7 7/8 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1916.1647
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
This breastplate, lacking its tassets, is nonetheless a fine example of the superb sculptural forms achieved by Renaissance armorers. Its contours and glancing surface illustrate the extremes sought by both armorers and patrons in order to deflect projectiles such as crossbow bolts and thrusting lances. Embellishment was an important aspect of fine armor. This breastplate bears a fine etched decoration of a kneeling knight, possibly the armor's owner, before the Crucifixion. This may have created a kind of personalized devotional image for use in combat.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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