Shot-Proof Cuirass (Breastplate and Backplate)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This cuirass is an exceptionally rare example of late decorated armor of the highest quality, and is one of the few documented French examples bearing the crowned N mark of Besançon (either the town or maker in that town). By the late seventeenth century the wearing of armor had largely been abandoned, though the French cavalry were sometimes fitted with cuirasses. This example, made for a high-ranking officer, probably a nobleman, was specially decorated and includes baroque trophies of arms and foliate ornament akin to that found on French firearms of the late 17th0early 18th century. Despite the decoration, the cuirass was functional. A shallow, round dent in the lower left side of the breastplate indicates that the cuirass was shot at in a test firing to prove that it was an effective protection against bullets, or, as it was called in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, shot proof.

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