This piece of armor served to protect the wearer’s forearm and hand when in combat. Alternatively, it may have been a part of costume armor. Either way, the craftsmanship goes beyond the ordinary shaping of steel. The excellent steel material also speaks to the high quality of this piece in comparison to a cheaper iron equivalent. The addition of diagonal “flutes” as well as pointed edges for decoration along with the dark color lead one to believe that this is certainly a high-class object. This late fifteenth century style is referred to as “Gothic” and elevates this piece of armor by making it fashionable and functional. Master armorers were sought after by noble patrons not unlike other artists and designers of the time. Often, you can see branding that provided a sort of signature from the smith. Despite the fashionable elements, this piece does not sacrifice utility. By not getting in the way of the armor’s ability to deflect any sort of attack, the pointed edges and subtle designs are even more of an elevation to the common man’s equivalent. This is not uncommon to see among nobility, especially when master craftsmen are involved like German armorers. Besides, around this time is when weapons began evolving specifically to pierce through armor such as this. Crossbows and firearms could easily puncture a breastplate with a solid hit, so why not add a bit of flair? Even if, by a small margin, the flutes and pointed edges don’t serve to heighten the defense of the armor, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Therefore, the master craftsmanship for kings and dukes consist of most of the surviving examples of armor around the late medieval era. However, this was not the case for the armor of lower-class foot soldiers fighting in a war for land they couldn’t even own. Even in cases where more common and certainly less fashionable armor survived, it is rusted and in pieces. Regardless of the vast gap between social classes in the medieval era, this gauntlet looks cool. It serves as an excellent example of the evolving craftsmanship and design trends of the time. Not to mention you could probably point to this piece as reference when designing a villain’s pointy, evil armor.

 

 

Ornamentation was alive and well, specifically among higher class individuals. Objects like the German Gauntlet for the Left Hand could even be described as fashionable for the time. Even beyond that, an impressive amount of decorations were more than just designs; they were symbols. Returning to the Sallet in the Shape of a Lion Head, I was shocked to see that such a thing was even able to be made. More importantly, that frankly goofy looking outer shell was able to single handedly validate any time I’ve seen some gaudy carved shoulder plate on your average fantasy paladin character. It was such a massive restriction not being able to delve into the 16th century and beyond considering just how much the art and design of these armors had advanced, especially in the outside-of-the-box fantastical realm. Craftsmen and designers have always been balancing form and function, and that’s seen among the pieces organized in the exhibit. There is also a level of personalization seen among certain pieces. Paintings and inscriptions among pieces like the turban helmet or crossbow make that item uniquely theirs. It’s an investment equivalent today to slapping a bumper sticker on your car. Although you don’t have to gesso your car in order to proclaim your love for the Lord, the sentiment is the same.

But, with all this ornamentation, there is also the lack of it. When that’s seen, it goes to show how impersonal the item is. Furthermore, the class disparity shows plainly when comparing two objects on either end of a scale of the owner’s wealth. As mentioned in The Decoration of Arms and Armor, “this degree of decoration was as much an expression of the wearer’s status and rank as it was indicative of the value placed on such arms and armor by the owner” (Breiding). Like I said earlier, there was a level of fashion involved with the designs on these decorations. Not much has changed since then, considering specific artists and designers were sought after for their smithing. The original object label for the Italian Suit of Armor with Sallet makes specific mention that it was designed in Milan, a hub for the finest armorers, it seems. This isn’t unlike how wealthy folks today look for exotic italian supercars or fans praise a specific animation studio. Flaunting your wealth and power may have come second in terms of priority, but it was still very much an important element. When one couldn’t afford this, however, simple Steel and a good enough armorer to refit it onto you would do just fine. Mail could be made into a one-size-fits-all form of protection, but it certainly wasn’t very glamorous. No, it was the nobility of knights that flaunted their chivalrous heraldry along with their military might by having the finest weapons and armor (Norris).

Though this was initially intended to get history experts to leave me alone when designing cool armor, a lot more is to be gained when analyzing what feudalism and war can do to art and design. The adaptation and ever evolving nature of armor is indeed fascinating, and this Medieval era is only the starting point for centuries of further advancements in design and engineering.