Breastplate

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Armor was made in southern Germany and Austria, areas rich in iron ore, since the early Middle Ages. By the fifteenth century, the armorers of this region had achieved an international reputation that rivaled the fame of their counterparts in northern Italy. Augsburg, Landshut, Nuremberg in Germany, and Mühlau and nieghboring Innsbruck in Austria were the major armor-producing centers. Their armorers could equip entire armies while also fulfilling personal commissions for the nobility throughout western Christendom. The patronage of the upper nobility spurred the leading armorers to develop technical innovations and decorative styles that set international standards of quality and beauty. Emperor Maximilan I (1459–1519) employed dozens of armorers to make battle and tournament armors for his personal use and as imperial gifts. Chief among these armorers was Lorenz Helmschmid (about 1445–1516) of Augsburg, possibly the most talented German armorer of the late fifteenth to early sixteenth century.

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