  About the Artwork
  
  
  The elegant, slim-waisted form of this breastplate and the decorative flourishes that adorn the edges of its plates disguise its impressive strength, which had to withstand one of the most dramatic forms of knightly sport. Meant for the joust of war, this thick breastplate deflected the sharp lances that gave this dangerous contest its name. The bolt holes that dot its surface would have supported a specialized spring-loaded shield designed to fly into the air and break into pieces when struck by an opponent’s lance. 

This breastplate and its matching backplate, also in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, are the only surviving examples of equipment for this variation of the event, which was invented during the 1480s at the court of the future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. Both elements bear the signature mark of Lorenz Helmschmid of Augsburg, the most celebrated armorer of the fifteenth century.
  
  
  Title
  Breastplate for the Joust of War with exploding shields (Geshifttartschen-Rennen)
  
  
  Artwork Date
  ca. 1480
  
  Artist
  Lorenz Helmschmid
  
  
  
  Life Dates
  active 1467 - 1515/16
  
  
  
  
  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  German
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
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  Medium
  Steel, copper alloy, and leather
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall (Breastplate): 21 1/4 × 14 3/4 × 7 3/8 inches (54 × 37.5 × 18.7 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Arms and Armor
  
  
  Department
  European Sculpture and Dec Arts
  
  
  Credit
  Gift of William Randolph Hearst Foundation
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  53.193.3
  
  
  Copyright
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