Left Half of a Breastplate

ca. 1400–1450

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 373

This is part of a large find of medieval armor discovered in 1840 in the ruins of the fortress of Chalcis, on the Greek island of Euboea (then a Venetian colony called Negroponte). The fortress had been captured and destroyed by the Turks in 1470. Now divided largely between the Ethnological Museum, Athens, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Chalcis hoard contains many rare and unusual elements of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century armor. Of particular importance are the variety of headpieces and the many fragments of brigandines (armor for the torso constructed of small plates riveted to layers of fabric), some of which retain portions of their original velvet covering. The Chalcis armor provides a unique picture of the armament used in the Aegean, one of the easternmost military outposts of the Venetian empire.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Left Half of a Breastplate
Date: ca. 1400–1450
Culture: Italian
Medium: Steel, copper alloy, textile (linen)
Dimensions: H. 12 3/16 in. (31 cm); W. 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm); Wt. 2 lbs. 14.8 oz. (1326.8 g)
Classification: Armor Parts
Credit Line: Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Bequest of Bashford Dean, 1928
Object Number: 29.150.100
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Armor, Steel, copper alloy, textile, leather, Italian — Armor
Italian
ca. 1400–1450 and later

Sallet in the Shape of a Lion's Head, Steel, copper, gold, glass, pigment, textile, Italian — Sallet in the Shape of a Lion's Head
Italian
ca. 1475–80

Armet, LIONARDO Italian, Steel, copper alloy, Italian, probably Milan — Armet
LIONARDO
ca. 1440

Burgonet, Filippo Negroli Italian, Steel, gold, textile, Italian, Milan — Burgonet
Filippo Negroli
dated 1543

Elements of an Italian Light-Cavalry Armor <i>alla Tedesca</i> (in the German Fashion), Steel, gold, copper alloy, leather, Italian, Milan — Elements of an Italian Light-Cavalry Armor *alla Tedesca* (in the German Fashion)
Italian, Milan
ca. 1510

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.