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In addition to protecting the knight, armor was used to show
his social position, wealth, and taste. The shape and decoration
of armor became more elaborate and was often made to look like
the clothes in fashion at the time. Surface details were made
to resemble embroidered seams, textile patterns, and folds in
cloth. The higher the rank of the wearer, the more finely crafted
his armor would be, whether it was created for warfare, hunting,
or ceremonies. It is mostly this kind of armor that the Museum
has collected.
The magnificent suit of steel and gold shown here was made for
an English knight, Sir George Clifford, third earl of Cumberland,
who lived from 1558 to 1605. It combines the cut of a fashionable
doublet with the decorative effect of rich brocaded fabric, executed
in techniques and with materials often used in jewelrymaking.
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Armor of
George Clifford, Third Earl of Cumberland, ca. 1580–85;
Made in the Royal Workshops; English (Greenwich); steel, etched,
blued, and gilded; H. 69 1/2 in. (176.5 cm), Wt. 60 lb. (27.2
kg); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Munsey Fund, 1932 (32.130.6)
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George Clifford
was a champion of Queen Elizabeth I, and the decoration on his
armor symbolizes this connection. The five-petaled roses are
an emblem of the royal Tudor family, and the fleur-de-lys shape
appears on the English coat of arms as a reminder of England’s
claim over certain French territories. The letter E entwined
with knots and rings appears on parts of the armor. It is Elizabeth’s
initial, and it indicates homage from the knight to his queen.
Click the magnifying glass to get a closer look.
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Judging from his armor, George Clifford looks like he had a potbelly
and unusually large hips. Not so. As you can see in the portrait
of Walter Devereux, at this time the well-dressed knight wore
a ruffled shirt and short puffy pants under his armor. The armor
had to be made to fit over such garments. Men wore tights, so
that part of the armor followed the shape of the legs.
Walter
Devereux (1539–1576), First Earl of Essex; British
painter, dated 1572; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund,
1920 (20.151.6) |
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