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Gothic Breastplate
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A breastplate is an element of armor that protects the chest and abdomen; it would have been worn with a now missing backplate. Nuremburg was one of the chief armor production centers and gained international renown; armor produced there was exported throughout Europe. It was not a coincidence that Nuremburg was known for its armor. The ore available in the region made Nuremburg an iron producing center close to the raw material needed to make a better quality and reliable product.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineGothic Breastplate, c. 1540. Germany. Steel; overall: 32.4 x 31.4 cm (12 3/4 x 12 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.684
