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Armor for Field and Tournament

A work made of steel with gilding, iron, brass, leather, and cord.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of steel with gilding, iron, brass, leather, and cord.

Date:

c. 1540/60 with later etching

Artist:

Jörg T. Sorg, the Younger, after
German, Augsburg, active 1502-1542

About this artwork

The growing relationship between armor and costume in the 16th century is indicated in the delicately incised and etched center band with scalloped edge on this armor, which mimics the embroidered front closing of a contemporary male doublet (a close-fitted bodice). The particularly fine decoration of etched floral arabesques suggests the workmanship of the Augsburg armory, perhaps of Jörg T. Sorg. The elements of this armor are from the same garniture—multiple matching pieces of armor that could convert a basic suit into various field or sporting armors. Perforations on the breastplate are for bolting a shock-absorbing lance rest in place and reinforcing plate armor for sporting events. When approaching an opponent, the latch door on the helmet would be closed for protection, whereas in more casual times, the door would be opened for air circulation.

Status

On View, Gallery 239

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Artist

Jörg T. Sorg, the Younger

Title

Armor for Field and Tournament

Place

Augsburg (Object 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.

Made 1530–1570

Medium

Steel with gilding, iron, brass, leather, and cord

Dimensions

H.: 185.4 cm (73 in.)

Credit Line

George F. Harding Collection

Reference Number

1982.2411a-r

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.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/118551/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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