Composite Three-Quarter Armor for a Cuirassier
Culture
German
, primarily Nuremberg
Date1620–1625
Mediumsteel, leather, textiles, paint
Dimensions41 lb 9 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
MarkingsRed "N" numbers on various components, photos in digital file.
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.1148
DescriptionComposite, of munitions quality, though underneath the paint of the leg-harness are the remains of a noteworthy armor. Consists of close helmet, collar, breast and backplates, arm harness (not a pair, 1 in Italian style, 1 in German), gauntlets (not a pair), cuisses (associated to rest). The Austrian provenance and the red numbers inside most components may suggest that the association is an old one.An older blackened surface can be detected underneath the more recent paint.
Label TextBy the 1600s, the lance-wielding knight in full armor had become a rarity. In his place had appeared the heavy cavalryman (cuirassier) armed with a pair of pistols and a sword. The armor was modified to allow for more complex roles, with no armor below the knees to allow better interaction with the horse, and sometimes an open-faced helmet for better visibility.ProvenancePurchased by Museum from J. Gluckselig & Sohn (Vienna, Austria) on December 1, 1936. Paid $300 for lot HAM#s 2383-2387. Old record states this armor was dealer's number 28, and mentions another "tag 1145". Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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