Breastplate
Unknown Artist
c. 1540
Medium
steel
Dimensions
43.8 × 36.9 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
Accession Number
1916.1804.b
About this artwork
The breastplate protects the chest and abdomen and is normally worn with a backplate. This one features a lance rest which start to appear as early as the late 1300s. The purpose of the lance rest is not to bear the weight of the lance. Instead allows a mounted warrior to hold the lance firmly couched under his right arm and stops it from sliding backward. If the target is hit the lance rest also acts as a shock absorber, preventing the lance from shooting backward and dispersing the impact via ...