late 1400s
Steel
Overall: 53.2 x 35.2 x 16.3 cm (20 15/16 x 13 7/8 x 6 7/16 in.)
Weight: 4.68 kg (10.32 lbs.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1720
As a result of the introduction of plate armor, the shield became superfluous and gradually disappeared from use.
This elegantly constructed breastplate consists of two primary plates of steel fastened at center by a rivet. The lower plate is embellished with a border of embossed flutes that converge upward and terminate in a fleur-de-lys. The pair of rivet holes in the upper right breast accommodated a lance rest, now lost.
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