Upper Arm Defense (Rerebrace)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1430–40
Medium
Steel
Dimensions
H. 6 in. (15.2 cm); W. 3 in. (7.6 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm); Wt. 10 oz. (283.5 g)
Classification
Armor Parts
Culture
Italian
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Bequest of Bashford Dean, 1928
Accession Number
29.150.137
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Upper Arm Defense (Rerebrace)*, crafted in Italy around 1430–40, is a finely wrought piece of steel armor designed to shield the upper arm during combat. Measuring just 6 inches high and weighing a mere 10 ounces, its compact form—3 inches wide and 5 inches deep—highlights the remarkable balance of protection and mobility that defined early plate armor. As part of a knight's or soldier's harness, the rerebrace would have been riveted to the shoulder plate (pauldrons) and elbow defense (coulter), forming a seamless layer of defense contoured to the body's natural shape. Dating ...