Jousting Armor (<i>Rennzeug</i>) and Matching Half-Shaffron

Jousting Armor (<i>Rennzeug</i>) and Matching Half-Shaffron

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This armor was intended for use in the Scharfrennen, a joust fought in an open field by two contestants mounted on horses and armed with relatively sharp lances. The sport remained popular at the court of the prince-electors of Saxony long after it had gone out of fashion elsewhere in Europe. This is one of more than thirty almost identical armors—some brightly polished and others painted black—formerly kept in the ducal armory in Dresden for use in court tournaments. It is thought that they were made locally by Saxon armorers in Dresden and Annaberg. Painted inside the backplate is the name Herr von Breitenbach. This refers to Karl Christian von Breitenbach, an officer in the Saxon court from 1694 to 1726, who presumably wore the armor at a wedding tournament held in Dresden on September 12, 1719. This series of armors was used last at a tournament in Dresden in 1936.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jousting Armor (<i>Rennzeug</i>) and Matching Half-ShaffronJousting Armor (<i>Rennzeug</i>) and Matching Half-ShaffronJousting Armor (<i>Rennzeug</i>) and Matching Half-ShaffronJousting Armor (<i>Rennzeug</i>) and Matching Half-ShaffronJousting Armor (<i>Rennzeug</i>) and Matching Half-Shaffron

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.