Highlights

Description

This breastplate is part one of the most magnificent pieces of armour at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum and is part of the complete suit of armour that Salzburg's Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau had commissioned to denote his rank. Of the total of 40 or so individual pieces, most of them are now in the Munich collection. The pieces could be combined for three different forms of jousting: free jousting, tilting and jousting on foot. Typical of the Milanese armourers of the late 16th century were these ribbon-like decorations. The bands are densely engraved with floral ornaments, depictions of weapons, kettle drums and trumpets as well as ancient gods and Christian saints.