Left Tasset (Thigh Defense) from a Boy's Costume Armor

Left Tasset (Thigh Defense) from a Boy's Costume Armor

Hans Seusenhofer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This left thigh, along with a matching left shoulder also in the Metropolitan Museum's collection (acc. no. 29.158.121), is from an armor ordered in 1532 by Archduke Ferdinand (later Emperor Ferdinand I) for his five-year-old nephew, the future Philip II of Spain (reigned 1556–98).

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Left Tasset (Thigh Defense) from a Boy's Costume ArmorLeft Tasset (Thigh Defense) from a Boy's Costume ArmorLeft Tasset (Thigh Defense) from a Boy's Costume ArmorLeft Tasset (Thigh Defense) from a Boy's Costume ArmorLeft Tasset (Thigh Defense) from a Boy's Costume Armor

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.