Three-quarter armour

This armour is one of a large series of three-quarter cuirassier armours made for the military forces of Bavaria in the early 17th century. Other surviving examples from the same series are now in the Bayerisches Armeemuseum, Ingolstadt and the Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto. Like the others of its group, this one originally had a 'black-from-the-hammer' finish, but was polished bright comparatively recently, almost certainly in the 19th century. The armour as it is now has clearly been composed using parts from at least two armours in the same series, indicated by the fact that both vambraces are for the right arm, with one turned round and mounted backwards on the left side.

The right side ...

c. 1620

Low-carbon steel and copper alloy, engraved

A65

Images and text © Wallace Collection, 2017