The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

Boy's Armor of Andreas of Austria (1558–1600)

Boy's Armor of Andreas of Austria (1558–1600)

c. 1568

Did You Know?

Andreas entered the clergy and became cardinal at age seventeen, and then became an abbot, a bishop, and a governor general.

Description

This armor was made for ten-year-old Andreas of Austria, the son of Archduke Ferdinand II (1529–1595) of the Habsburg dynasty. The Habsburg dynasty was prominent among European aristocracy for being enthusiasts of tournaments and patrons of fine armor, including small armors for young sons, which allowed these sons to familiarize themselves with such equipment at an early age. As necessity for knights declined with the advancement of firearms, training youths in armor became less necessary. As a result, arms and armor for the young increasingly became merely extravagant symbols of social status.
  • Lutz, Gerhard and Amanda Mikolic, "Armor Loan Installation: Four significant suits from Vienna" Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine (2022 Issue 2). pp. 24-25 www.clevelandart.org
    Mikolic, Amanda. “All in the Family: The Men Behind the Armor: The Dazzling New Loans in the Armor Court” CMA Thinker on Medium (June 2022). medium.com
  • {{cite web|title=Boy's Armor of Andreas of Austria (1558–1600)|url=false|author=|year=c. 1568|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/6.2022