The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of September 30, 2024
Heavy Jousting Armor (Stechzeug) of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519)
about 1485
workshop of Lorenz Helmschmied
(German, active Augsburg, 1477–1515)
Location: 210A Armor Court
Did You Know?
The mark of Lorenz Helmschmid from Augsburg (Bavaria, Germany) appears on this armor, one of the foremost armorers in late medieval Europe.Description
Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I commissioned this suit from one of the foremost armorers in late medieval Europe for his coronation as King of the Romans in 1486. The emperor, a noted patron of fine armor, sponsored some of the most extravagant tournaments of his era. This suit was made for a Stechen, a joust of peace with blunted lances. As some such jousts eliminated tilt barriers, walls between mounted combatants, the possibility of dangerous collisions necessitated specialized armor. A blind shaffron, the horse's head defense, ensured the horse did not deviate from its course in fear of collision. A large “frog-mouthed” helmet covered a second padded helmet to protect and immobilize the wearer’s head.- 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.orgMikolic, 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=Heavy Jousting Armor (Stechzeug) of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519)|url=false|author=Lorenz Helmschmied|year=about 1485|access-date=30 September 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/9.2022