Design for the Right Pauldron of a Parade Armor

Jean Cousin the Elder

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This design represents the front of the main plate on the right pauldron (shoulder defense) of an elaborately decorated armor. It is part of a large series of original drawings that are attributed to Etienne Delaune or Jean Cousin the Elder, artists employed by Henry II, King of France, from at least 1552 to 1559. Several armors and shields exist which were made from these drawings. Although not identical, this pauldron design is extremely similar to the decoration of two surviving armors: one made for the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian II (preserved in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) and another made for Henry II, now in the Metropolitan Museum's collection (acc. no. 39.121a–n). On the armors Delaune's designs were delicately embossed in steel and then further embellished with gold and silver highlights alternating with areas of blued steel.

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