The armorer Valentin Siebenbürger is recorded from the 1530s to the 1550s with commissions for the city of Nuremberg and several noble clients, including Emperor Charles V. This breastplate is important as an example of his work, particularly for its lively and inventive etched decoration. In quality and rarity, it is the single best item from the Ellis Collection, which was donated to the Metropolitan Museum in 1896.
