Shaffron (horse's head armor)

Culture Southern German

Date1520–1530

Mediumsteel with leather fragments

Dimensions67.3 × 33 × 29.2 cm (26 1/2 × 13 × 11 1/2 in.), 5 lb, 12 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.965

DescriptionSteel with leather. Extremely large, & shaped to the head. Tall riveted earpieces with recurved sides & slightly curved. Near-circular, boldly cabled rims at upper edge. Restored shield-shaped escutcheon-plate held by arrow-shaped screw between eyes. Medial ridge from here to flaring, curved nose, & developing embossed, cabled projection at mid-length. Side edges of mainplate plain, & followed by domed iron rivets. Nose inwardly turned & plain, with recessed band filled by rivets. Between eyes & ears, sides with roughly trapezoidal cheekpieces. Associated deeply curved poll-plate with flattened medial line, & outwardly turned, plain edges.
Label TextAs in many of the cultures of Eurasia and Africa, the military elite of medieval Europe were mounted: the word for “knight” in almost every European language actually means “horseman.” A well trained warhorse was expensive, and a knight’s steed often wore at least a head protector, and sometimes additional armor for the neck and body.ProvenancePurchased by Museum from Gimbel Bros. (NYC) on December 20, 1944. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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