Battle Armour
The two collections of
armour that have piqued my interest enough to write about [here | here] are
both jousting sets, intended for the nobleman at sport. This, however, is an altogether
different beast. It is German-made battle armour from around 1570. Intended to
be worn in combat, it sought to strike a balance between protection and ease of
movement. Although not as ornate as the jousting armour, battle armour could
still bear decoration and be quite fashionable and fashion conscious. This
particular example is etched with bands of vine scroll, an influence from
Islamic art as well as having a narrow waist, mimicking contemporary clothing
styles. I can only think that in the heat of battle (and the back plate does appear
to have a noticeable ‘ding’) the wearer of this set may have regretted such
restrictive fashion choices. As much as I appreciate the quality of the armour,
it is the pose that particularly strikes me. There is (to me, at least)
something quite contemporary about the stance – as though I’d spotted a friend dancing
at a fancy-dress party, head to one side, giving me a ‘thumbs up’.
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