About the Artwork
This armor, the heaviest in the Detroit Institute of Arts’ collection, was made for use in a range of tournament events held at the court of the Electors of Saxony in Dresden, present-day Germany. The wingnut that protrudes conspicuously from the face defense locks the helmet in place. Large threaded screws bolt together the throat defense and the double-layered breastplate. Thick steel plates reinforce the left shoulder and elbow to protect against heavy blows from a right-handed opponent.
Despite the festive atmosphere that surrounded knightly sports, there were real dangers associated with jousts (contests between two mounted contestants armed with lances) and free tournaments (mock battles between teams of knights wielding lances, blunted swords, or clubs). Armorers like the brothers Wolf and Peter von Speyer developed sophisticated safety features to prevent injuries in the arena. This armor, a testament to their craftsmanship, successfully protected generations of knights for over 130 years. The inside of its backplate is inscribed with the name of its last wearer, Caspar von Lesgewang, who donned the armor for a tournament in 1719, long after the golden age of armor and tournaments had ended.
Armor for the Joust and Free Tournament
ca. 1580 - 1590
Peter von Speyer the Younger (Artist) German, died after 1619 Wolf Peppinghorn (Artist) German, active 1575 - 1600 Wolf von Speyer (Artist) German, active ca. 1560 - 1580
Steel, leather
Overall (As Displayed): 70 1/2 × 30 × 17 7/8 inches (179.1 × 76.2 × 45.4 cm)
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European Sculpture and Dec Arts
Gift of William Randolph Hearst Foundation
53.197
Public Domain
Markings
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Provenance
by 1624, Prince-Elector Johann Georg I of Saxony [1585–1656] (Dresden, Germany);1656, by inheritance to his heirs, the prince-electors and kings of Saxony (Dresden, Germany);
1827, by inheritance to King Anton of Saxony [1755–1836] (Dresden, Germany);
1832, transferred with the contents of the royal and electoral armory to the Königliches Historisches Museum (Dresden, Germany);
1924, deaccessioned and returned to Prince Ernst Heinrich [1896–1971] for the Verein Haus Wettin Albertinischer Linie (Dresden, Germany);
1926, sold to William Randolph Hearst (Los Angeles, California, USA);
1951, bequeathed to the William Randolph Hearst Foundation;
1953-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
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Provenance pageExhibition History
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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
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Beuten, Tobias. Chur-Fürstlischer Säschsicher stets grünender hoher Cedern-Wald...oder kurze Vorstellung der churfürstlische sachsiche hohen Regal-Wercke. Dresden, 1671, [unnumbered].
von Ehrenthal, M. Führer durch das Königliche Historische Museum zu Dresden, 3rd ed. Dresden, 1899, pp. 42-44.
Robinson, F.W. "A Gift of Arms and Armor from the Collection of William Randolph Hearst." Bulletin of the DIA 33, no. 1 (1953-54): pp. 1-5 (cover ill.).
Robinson, F. A Selection from the William Randolph Hearst Collection of Arms and Armor in the Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, 1954, pp. 22-23.
The Art of the Armorer. Exh. cat., Flint Institute of Arts. Flint, 1967, cat. no. 9 (ill.).
Schedelmann, H. "Ein Rückblick auf den Waffenmarkt des letzten halben Jahrhunderts." Waffen-und Kostümkunde 15 (1973): pp. 32; 35 (ill.).
Levkoff, M. Hearst, the Collector. Exh. cat., Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles, 2008, cat. no. 24, p. 162; p. 163 (ill.).
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Credit Line for Reproduction
workshop of Wolf von Speyer; workshop of Peter von Speyer the Younger; workshop of Wolf Peppinghorn, Armor for the Joust and Free Tournament, ca. 1580 - 1590, steel, leather. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of William Randolph Hearst Foundation, 53.197.
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