Gorget

German

1620/50

Medium
Steel, brass, gilding, and leather
Classification
Armor
Culture
Germany
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
Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed

View at the Art Institute of Chicago

About this work

Light cavalrymen and officers on foot increasingly wore large gorgets in place of full breast and backplates. Often paired with a heavy buff-leather coat, these effectively protected the wearer’s neck and heart from heavy sword cuts or thrusts. This well-preserved example retains its original blue-black finish and leather lining.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0