Left Gauntlet
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
The long, slender cuff is semicircular in section and has a low medial ridge; its upper edge is obliquely cut on the inner side, with turned edge, to facilitate the bending of the elbow. A plate to cover the inside of the lower arm was formerly attached to the cuff by hinges and a strap and buckle (one of the hinges and the buckle remain). The two holes at the top of the cuff allowed the gauntlet to be attached directly to the cowter (elbow cop). The back of the hand is covered by five metacarpal plates, the upper two embossed over the ulna, and an embossed knuckleplate connects the metacarpal lames to the five finger lames of mitten type. The base of the cuff is decorated with V-shaped flutes radiating upward, the area between them filled with a diamond-shaped panel embossed in low relief; V-shaped flutes radiate in a downward directiona cross the back of the hand and fingers. The points of the knuckles are outlined with engraved diamond shapes. This unusual type of gauntlet covered the lower arm up to the elbow and was secured to the cowter by a "point" (lace), and consequently eliminated the need for the lower vambrace. Elbow gauntlets of this type were worn in Germany and Austria at the very end of the fifteenth century, and one of this type is illustrated in Dürer's famous engraving Knight, Death, and the Devil, which is dated 1513 but which illustrates an armor of about 1490 (acc. no. 42.160.2). Though unmarked, this gauntlet is similar to several other elbow gauntlets stamped with the marks of Innsbruck armorers that are preserved in the Waffensammlung, Vienna, and Churburg Castle, Slulderno (Italy). The long, slender proportions of this gauntlet and the linear emphasis created by its radiating fluted surfaces are features typical of late fifteenth-century German armor and are quite distinct from the fuller, more rounded forms of contemporary Italian armor.
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.