Falling Buffe
ca. 1525
Medium
Steel, textile (wool, canvas)
Dimensions
H. 10 in. (25.4 cm); W. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
Classification
Armor Parts-Buffes
Culture
German, Augsburg
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George D. Pratt, 1927
Accession Number
27.159.19
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Falling Buffe* by Kolman Helmschmid, a master armorer from Augsburg, Germany, crafted around 1525. This exquisite armor component, measuring just 10 by 8½ inches, forms part of a close helmet's lower face guard—a pivoting chin defense known as a "buffe" for its ability to "fall" into place, offering vital protection while allowing visibility and breathability in battle. Helmschmid, one of Augsburg's renowned late-Gothic to early Renaissance armorers, exemplifies the city's golden age of metalworking, where craftsmanship rivaled the finest jewelry. Forged from steel and lined with ...
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...