Backplate

Francesco Negroli

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Judging by the maker's marks stamped on it, this backplate appears to be the only surviving identifiable work by Francesco Negroli, a member of a leading family of Milanese armorers, which, in the next generation, became internationally renowned for their sculpturally embossed armors all'antica (in the antique style). The backplate is in a style known as alla tedesca (in the Germanic fashion), suggesting that it was made for a client north of the Alps.

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