Breastplate
ca. 1530–35
Medium
Steel
Dimensions
H. 15 3/4 in. (40 cm); W. 15 1/8 in. (38.4 cm); D. 8 in. (20.3 cm); Wt. 6 lb. 12.3 oz. (3070.3 g)
Classification
Armor Parts-Breastplates
Culture
German, Nuremberg
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
John Stoneacre Ellis Collection, Gift of Mrs. Ellis and Augustus Van Horne Ellis, 1896
Accession Number
96.5.115c
Art Historical Context
This finely crafted steel breastplate, by the Nuremberg armorer Valentin Siebenbürger 1530–35, exemplifies the pinnacle of German Renaissance armor-making. Measuring 15¾ inches high, 15⅛ inches wide, and 8 inches deep, it weighs substantial yet manageable 6 pounds 12.3 ounces, designed to shield the wearer's torso during the intense battles of the era. Nuremberg, a thriving hub of metalworking in the Holy Roman Empire, was renowned for producing high-quality arms and armor that balanced protection with mobility for knights and infantry like the Landsknechts. Siebenbürger's work highlights the...