Right Thigh and Knee Defense (Cuisse and Poleyn) for the Armor of Sir John Scudamore (1541 or 1542–1623)

dated 1913

Not on view

This leg piece, a superb example of hammerwork, etching, and gilding, was made by Daniel Tachaux in 1913, as part of his comprehensive restoration of the late sixteenth-century Scudamore armors (on permanent display at the Metropolitan Museum, gallery 371, accession numbers 11.128.1, .2). These two armors were incomplete and badly damaged when acquired by the Museum in 1911. Despite their condition, Arms and Armor Department founding curator Bashford Dean recognized their importance and rarity and gave Tachaux the challenging assignment of restoring them to their original appearance. In addition to making missing pieces, such as this, Tachaux skillfully cleaned, repaired, and reassembled all the surviving original parts. When the original right thigh and knee defense unexpectedly appeared at auction in 1922, it was reunited with the armor, replacing Tachaux's accurate recreation of it.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title:
Right Thigh and Knee Defense (Cuisse and Poleyn) for the Armor of Sir John Scudamore (1541 or 1542–1623)
Armorer: Daniel Tachaux (French, 1857–1928, active in France and America)
Date: dated 1913
Geography: New York, New York
Culture: American, New York
Medium: Steel, gold, leather
Dimensions: H. 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm); W. 7 11/16 in. (19.5 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 12 oz. (1247.4 g)
Classification: Armor Parts
Credit Line: Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Object Number: 11.128.1o
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

By Daniel Tachaux

From the same time and place

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Prototype for Helmet Model No. 2, Daniel Tachaux French, Steel, pressed paper or cardboard, American, New York — Prototype for Helmet Model No. 2
Daniel Tachaux
1917

Infantry Armor, Daniel Tachaux in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Armor Workshop French, Steel, leather, brass, Italian — Infantry Armor
Daniel Tachaux
dated 1571; upper plate of the gorget, skirt lames, and cheek pieces, 1917

Jousting Armor, Daniel Tachaux French, Steel, copper alloy, leather, textile, horn, German; restorations, French, Paris — Jousting Armor
Daniel Tachaux
ca. 1500 and later

Armor for the Joust of Peace, Daniel Tachaux French, Steel, copper alloy, leather, textile, horn, German; restorations, French, Paris — Armor for the Joust of Peace
Daniel Tachaux
ca. 1500 and later

Bashford Dean Memorial Tablet, Daniel Chester French American, Bronze, American, New York — Bashford Dean Memorial Tablet
Multiple artists/makers
1930

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