Armpit Defense
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Steel
Dimensions
H. 9 7/16 in. (24.0 cm); W. 11 13/16 in. (30.0 cm); Diam. (outside) of riveted links 13/32 in. (11.1 mm); Diam. (inside) of riveted links 5/16 in. (8.0 mm); Diam. of solid links 9/32 in. (10.0 mm); Wt. 1 lb. 3 oz. (538.6 g).
Classification
Culture
German
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Prince Albrecht Radziwill, 1927
Accession Number
27.183.32
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms Armor collection, this "Armpit Defense" a exquisite example of 16th-century mail armor, crafted from steel by an unknown master armorer. Dating to a time when German knights and Landsknecht mercenaries dominated European battlefields, such pieces protected vulnerable joints like the armpit—where rigid plate armor left gaps for mobility. Gifted by Prince Albrecht Radziwill 1927, it the fusion of function and fine craftsmanship during the Renaissance peak of armor production. Made of interlocking riveted and solid steel rings, the defense measure...