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Pauldron for Right shoulder
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This element for the shoulder once belonged to a suit decorated by the bluing technique, a process of superheating armor plates to achieve a deep blue color. Bluing required heating to at least 590 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which oxidation occurs. Although the original color is now darkened it would have originally been a deep shade of blue. It was further enhanced with gilding to create additional contrast for a refined appearance.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePauldron for Right shoulder, c. 1560–70. Italy, 16th century. Steel, blued and gilded; overall: 26.4 x 28 cm (10 3/8 x 11 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1528
