Armor of the Dukes of Alba

Lucio Piccinino

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is one of the few armors attributable to Lucio Piccinino, the last of the great Italian armor embossers. Distinctive of Piccinino's style is the covering of the armor surface with a dense network of embossed ornament with vertical bands connected laterally by swags of acanthus and fruit. Originally, the steel ground was blued and highlighted with gold and silver damascening. Although damaged by fire in the nineteenth century, this armor amply demonstrates Piccinino's skill in designing a complex program of Classically inspired decoration. Acquired directly from the ancestral collection of the dukes of Alba in Madrid in 1861, this armor appears to combine the remains of two armors of nearly identical size and style. They were probably made for two of the sons of Fernando Alvarez de Toledo (1507–1582), third duke of Alba, a famous Spanish general.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art