Artwork Page for Gothic Backplate

Details / Information for Gothic Backplate

Gothic Backplate

c. 1475–1500

Germany, late 15th Century

Medium
steel, modern leather straps
Measurements
Overall: 44.5 x 34.5 x 16.5 cm (17 1/2 x 13 9/16 x 6 1/2 in.)
Weight: 2.9 kg (6.39 lbs.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1613
Public Domain
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Location
210A Armor Court
Print
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Did You Know?

This armor would have been polished mirror bright and been a spectacular sight in the sunlight.

Description

Over time the increasing effectiveness of the crossbow and longbow made steel plates necessary for protection. Around 1400 a knight was protected almost entirely by plate armor. The elements shown here (backplate and fan-shaped pauldrons), with their sculptural line, illustrate the beauty of plate armor from the Gothic age.
A steel backplate and winged shoulder guards are contoured to a torso, the reflective silver metal dappled with aged spots. Scalloped plates with radiating fan-like ridges flare from the shoulders, one bearing a small stamp. Below a cinched waist, three horizontal, overlapping plates curve outward. Vertical ridges detail the lower center back, with small rivets connecting the sections. The armor is centered against a dark, graduated backdrop.

Gothic Backplate

c. 1475–1500

Germany, late 15th Century

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