Backplate
Cultureprobably
German
Cultureor
Austrian
Date1590–1600
Mediumsteel, leather, black paint
Dimensions46 × 46 × 46 cm (18 1/8 × 18 1/8 × 18 1/8 in.), 16 lb (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.4.2
DescriptionLarge, and of heavy, black-painted proof steel. Matches breastplate, with fragments of an old replacement waiststrap at lower sides; other segments, & buckle preserved. Modern shoulder strap leathers and (?) scalloped plates, with pointed terminal plate having triple keyhole slot piercings. Level basal flange without culet. Sides have been "let out" during working life via riveted extensions, as have terminals at shoulders.
Label TextAs firearms improved, armor struggled to keep up. This extremely heavy breastplate was designed for siege use. The thick iron provided excellent protection against bullets in the trench warfare of a siege, but it was too heavy for a soldier marching around on a battlefield.ProvenanceArchduke Eugen's Armory, Fortress Hohenwerfen, Salzburg, Austria Purchased by John W. Higgins on March 3, 1927 from Anderson Galleries (NY), their # 670A. Given to the Museum on December 26, 1946. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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