Three-Quarter Field Armor of Anime Construction
Workshop of Michel Witz, the Younger (Innsbruck)
c. 1560
- Medium
- Steel and leather
- Classification
- Armor
- Dimensions
- H.: 124.5 cm (49 in.)
- Culture
- Innsbruck
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Applied Arts of Europe
- Credit line
- George F. Harding Collection
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
This armor is complete with a breast and backplate called an anime that is entirely composed of overlapping segments (lames) held together by rivets and internal leather bands. During the mid-16th century a new form of lightly armored horseman developed, armed with pistols rather than the traditional lance. These cavalrymen often favored this segmented design as it offered more flexibility across the chest to ride comfortably and reload their weapons. An open-faced helmet also helped aiming. The spiked bar defense protected against sword cuts across the face.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
