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Infantry Armor

A work made of steel and leather.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of steel and leather.

Date:

1510/15

Artist:

German, possibly Cologne

About this artwork

Infantry armors like this example were produced in quantities to outfit German mercenaries known as Landsknechte, who dominated battlefields in the early 16th century. As professional soldiers, these men were expected to equip themselves within their means. Answering the demand, armorers manufactured harnesses like this on spec rather than for a specific client. The breastplate, backplate, and splinted arms are adjustable and were designed to fit a common-sized soldier. Nevertheless, even as a piece of medium-quality armor, this harness is embellished with fashionable flutes and ripples.

Status

On View, Gallery 239

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Title

Infantry Armor

Place

Cologne (Object Possibly made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1500–1525

Medium

Steel and leather

Dimensions

H.: 137.2 cm (54 in.)

Credit Line

George F. Harding Collection

Reference Number

1982.2427a-f

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/116330/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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