Armor

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is one of a group of finely etched armors made for the court of Duke Julius of Brunswick-Wölfenbüttel (1528–1589). The armors are decorated similarly with satyrs, allegorical figures, and grotesques, many of which are derived from prints by Cornelis Bos and Virgil Solis. The group is distinguished further, as is the armor displayed here, by the device on the breast: a quatrefoil above a crowned heart, which is flanked by two pairs of clasped hands and the initials HI (Herzog Iulius, meaning “Duke Julius” or “Heinrich Julius”). The scene depicted in the quatrefoil is the Old Testament story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Around the border runs an inscription that reads in translation, “Oh God, protect no more than my life, soul, property, and honor.” It is thought that this group of armors was commissioned about 1563, to commemorate the reconciliation of Julius and his father, Duke Heinrich (died 1568), and the reinstatement of Julius to the ducal succession.

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