Armor
ca. 1525 and later
Medium
Steel, leather
Dimensions
Wt. approx. 48 lb. 7 oz. (21.97 kg)
Classification
Armor for Man-3/4 Armor
Culture
German, Augsburg
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gorget: Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Bequest of Bashford Dean, 1928; body armor: Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Gift of Mrs. Bashford Dean, 1929; helmet: Gift of Alan Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, 1950
Accession Number
29.151.3a–s; 29.150.152; 50.237.2
Art Historical Context
This exquisite three-quarter armor, crafted by the renowned German armorer Kol Helmschmid of Augsburg around 1525 and later assembled, exemplifies the pinnacle of Renaissance metalworking. Helmschmid, from a dynasty of master armorers, produced pieces for Europe's elite, blending functionality with artistic flair. Made primarily of steel with leather accents, this suit— weighing a formidable 48 pounds, 7 ounces—protected the torso, arms, head while allowing greater mobility than full harnesses, ideal for battlefield cavalry or tournaments. Augsburg was a thriving hub of armor production in 16...
About the Artist
Kolman Helmschmid · 1471–1532
**Kolman Helmschmid: Master Armourer of the Renaissance** Kolman Helmschmid (1471–1532), born in Augsburg, Germany, emerged from one of Europe's most illustrious families of armourers, the Helmschmieds, whose name aptly means "helmet smith." The son of the renowned Lorenz Helmschmied (active 1467–1515), Kolman trained within the family workshop, taking control after his father's death in 1515 and...