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Gorget
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A gorget is an element of armor that protects the neck, throat, and upper part of the chest. It normally consists of two parts, front and back, joined by a hinge on the left shoulder and fastened with a stud on the right. Gradually the gorget grew smaller and more symbolic becoming a symbol of rank. By the 1700s it became a single crescent shape worn on a chain that suspended the gorget even lower on the chest, so that it no longer protected the throat in normal wear.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineGorget, c. 1560. Germany. Steel; overall: 31.6 x 25.2 x 17.2 cm (12 7/16 x 9 15/16 x 6 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1639
