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Source Description
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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95928
label
Breastplate
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95928
contentType
object
title
Breastplate
description
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.
date
c. 1550
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60778861
genreSpecific
Arms and Armor
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 31.3 x 35 x 20 cm (12 5/16 x 13 3/4 x 7 7/8 in.)
cul
Germany, Nuremberg
accession
1916.1647
Source extras
tec
steel with etched figure kneeling before Crucifixion
tombstone
Breastplate, c. 1550. Germany, Nuremberg. Steel with etched figure kneeling before Crucifixion; overall: 31.3 x 35 x 20 cm (12 5/16 x 13 3/4 x 7 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1647
collection
MED - Arms & Armor
didYouKnow
Engraving is one of the oldest techniques for decorating metal objects; here the artist used a sharp instrument to scratch the design into the surface.
citations
citation
<em>Catalogue of Arms and Armour</em>. Vol. 3, <em>16th century</em>. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], [1900-1915].
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: No. (160) 163
citation
Gilchrist, Helen Ives. <em>A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923</em>. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 63, C7
citation
Fliegel, Stephen N.<em> Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.
page_number
pp. 78, 163; cat. no. 30
citation
Fliegel, Stephen N. <em>Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
page_number
cat. no. 24, p. 183
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:09:40.399000
sourceId
95928
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Arms & Armor
med
steel with etched figure kneeling before Crucifixion
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
7bf2ca4a64d3fa9d