Lance Rest
Date1400s–early 1500s
Mediumiron
Dimensions6 × 9 cm (2 3/8 × 3 9/16 in.), 6 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.911
DescriptionSurface has been heavily ground down, presumably to remove corrosion.Label TextThe lance-rest (more precisely, lance-stop, "arrest de lance" in medieval French) was attached to the knight's breastplate near the right armpit. It helped the knight support and control the 11-foot lance. It also served to transmit the force of impact from the lance to the breastplate, reducing strain on the knight's arm and shoulder.ProvenancePurchased by John W. Higgins on September 28, 1929 from estate of Bashford Dean (Riverdale, NY), his no. 130. Given to the Museum on July 1, 1947. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
On View
Not on view
possibly 1600–1620, altered about 1640
German
about 1520 with modern restorations
