Half Armor

Kolman Helmschmid

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The design of armor was often influenced by the style of men’s clothing. From about 1510 to about 1530, in southern Germany and Austria, this trend was taken to an extreme in elaborate armor that directly imitated flamboyant puffed and slashed costume. Only the most skillful and inventive armorers could successfully re-create cut-velvet and embroidered silk in hammered and etched steel. The most renowned practitioners of this demanding style were Conrad Seusenhofer (active 1500–1517) of Innsbruck and Kolman Helmschmid (1471–1532) of Augsburg, both of whom worked for the imperial court. The helmets of costume armors frequently included visors that were embossed to represent exaggerated human or animal masks. Such mask-visors were inspired in part by the masks worn in the traditional pre-Lenten carnivals that were popular throughout Germany.

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