Half Armor

Martin Schneider the Younger

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Although made in Nuremberg, this cavalryman’s armor is an unusual mix of different regional styles. The helmet is based on an eastern European type known as the Zischägge, which was inspired by Turkish examples. The pauldrons (shoulder defenses) with their overlapping, fanlike plates are of a type associated with Swiss armors of the period. The armor is stamped with the Nuremberg mark and an armorer’s mark—a shield containing the letters MSI above a pair of shears—that has been attributed to Martin Schneider the Younger. Despite its relative plainness, the armor is very well made. It would have been worn by a cavalryman equipped with a sword, a pair of pistols, and possibly a carbine (a short form of musket).

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