Changes in the shapes of breastplates in the 16th century Main Page Previous Page

Robert Dudley National Portrait Gallery c. 1575 NPG 447	Waistcoat Cuirass circa 1580 inv. num. A-240

Bringing us almost full circle, we again have a cuirass where the construction mimics civilian fashion directly. This piece opens at the front, not the sides. The join is decorated with a series of false buttons copied directly from the civilian garment.

Many of the examples of this style that we see in museums are elegantly decorated with etching and sometimes also gilding. This leads people to believe that these were something different - a style of "costume" or "parade" armor or maybe they would be worn as protection in a civilan context. This example, and many that we find in the Graz arsenal are very much designed for use as protective equipment and for use in war. They have not been decorated. This one has a proof mark on the left side. It is thick, and definitely would have been proof against at least pistol, if not also harquebus shot.