[CUSTOMS CODE 97061000]

comprising breastplate with heavy main plate of late 'peascod' fashion, formed with shallow neck and arm-openings, flanged outwards at its base, etched in borders around its neck and arm-openings and in seven diverging vertical bands with bands of interlacing strapwork, enclosed in each case by narrower bands of guilloche and engrailing, and involving oval cartouches enclosing classical subjects, fantastic animals and large overlapping crossover knots, fitted at the arm-openings with associated roped gussets, and matching one-piece backplate (extensive patination and wear throughout, the etching partly obscured), 46.0 cm high (2)

Provenance

Joe Kindig Jr. (1898-1971), thence by descent

The etched decoration of the cuirass is of a pattern employed by several Milanese armourers of the late 16th century, including one who signed himself with the initials IFP on a half armour in the Art Institute, Chicago, (Acc. No. 1982.2194), another who signed himself with a triple-towered castle on a visor and bevor in the same collection (Acc. No. 1982.2493) and most particularly with Pompeo della Chiesa, recorded 1571-93, who had his workshop in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan (see Norman 1986, p. 31). The knot device is employed by the ducal family of Savoy and features on the armour of Carl Emanuel I, Duke of Savoy (1562-1630) as well as other, unrelated armours of this period. See Bertlolotto et al 1982, pp. 39-40.

Part proceeds to benefit the Acquisition Fund of the Arms and Armor department, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.