🇮🇹👑Incredible Armor of Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma & Piacenza (1545-1592) made in Milan ca. 1576-1580. This is one of if not the most ornate extant harnesses I have ever seen. Imagine the hours & money that went into this👇🏻 This all’antica garniture for man and horse is one of the most elaborate sixteenth-century armours extant. It was made for Alessandro Farnese, son of Ottavio Farnese and Margaret of Parma, an illegitimate daughter of Emperor Charles V. The garniture was produced by a Milanese armourer, possibly Lucio Piccinino, and the designs are by Andrea Casalini, a goldsmith working for the court in Parma. Ten of Casalini’s detailed preparatory drawings for the garniture have survived and are now in Paris, New York, Hamburg, and Vienna. Sources suggest the garniture was ordered not by Alessandro but by his father, Ottavio. The ensemble has survived almost intact. It consists of a cuirass with reinforcing pieces for the left shoulder (for jousting) and a bard with chanfron and saddle. A stylistically divergent oval shield, a burgonet, and a mace complete the garniture. Alessandro Farnese succeeded John of Austria (Don Juan de Austria) as governor of the Spanish Netherlands following the latter’s death in October 1578. At the time – in 1577/78 – Archduke Ferdinand II was corresponding about receiving armour that had belonged to these two relatives, asking for the ‘dispatch of armour that had belonged to Master John of Austria as well as one that had belonged to Prince Alessandro Farnese’ (weillendt Herrn Don Johann von Österreich Leibharnisch sowohl auch des Prinzen von Parma Alexander Farneß haraufzeschicken). It seems that both armours finally arrived at Innsbruck in January 1580. At Ambras Castle the garniture was displayed in the second armoury, where it was described in 1596 as ‘an impressive armour for man and horse made for the Duke of Parma … on the head a harpy, silver and gilt’ (ain stattliche rüstung auf dem rosz vom herzog von Parma … auf dem kopf ain Harpia, so silbern und vergult).

🖼️⚔️”St. George & The Dragon” Woodcut Print by Hans Burgkmair (1473-1531) ca. 1508-1518

🇮🇹⚔️Etched Field Armor of Manfredo Pallavicini (1510-1585) made in Italy ca. 1550 This harness is likely to be the armor that Pallavicini wore against the Turks in Hungary. Pallavicini fought in imperial service in 1541 at Ofen against the Turks, against the French in 1544 and in 1546/47 in the Schmalkaldian War. In 1552 he was captured by the Turks, but was able to be bought free. Later he fought for the Venetians in the Balkans and in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. The heavy weight of this harness at 38 kg suggest a dating of the piece between 1540 and 1560, as it was made to withstand the increasingly effective firearms of the period.

⚔️This is the ultimate loadout for the Zombie Apocalypse…

🇮🇹⚔️Blackened, Etched, & Gilt Harness of the Condottiero Galeazzo Fregoso, Count of Mureto (1532-1612) made ca. 1575-1580 Galeazzo Fregoso was a celebrated Italian condottiero from the Veronese branch of the noble Fregoso family. He is historically notable for his long military career in France, where he moved around 1550. He served as a Gentleman of the Chamber to the King of France in 1559 and was knighted under the French Crown. In 1574, he was officially granted the title of Count of Mureto (Comte de Muret). His personal coat of arms bore a flying eagle braving lightning, with the defiant Spanish motto: "Ni matarme, ni spantarme" ("Neither kill me, nor scare me").

⚔️Knights & Soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire mid 15th Century

🇫🇷⚔️Etched & Gilt French Cuirassier Armor ca. 1600 One of the best-preserved French armors dating from the reign of Henry IV (1589–1610), this example demonstrates the French preference for completely gilt armors. It retains its original yellow silk helmet lining and red leather straps sewn with metallic thread. In spite of its rich decoration, this armor was intended for use in battle. It was made at a time when the lance had been abandoned by the heavily armored cavalry in favor of a pair of pistols kept in holsters at the front of the saddle. The presence of hand firearms on the battlefield led to the increasing weight of armors such as this and the gradual discarding of elements like the defenses for the lower legs. •Dimensions: armor: H. 57 in. (144.78 cm); Wt. 77 lb. 2 oz. (34.98 kg); shaffron: H. 22 in. (55.88 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 14 oz. (1.3 kg)

👑⚔️16th Century Habsburg Imperial Troops- Landsknecht “Doppelsoldners” (Double Pay soldiers) were experienced veteran troops who were known to carry zweihander swords like this. They would use them to protect whole areas/flanks of the pike formations, and would also be used to disrupt enemy pike formations. Thus usually the most experienced and brave soldiers carried them.

🇵🇹🇪🇸🇩🇪👑Etched & Gilt Field Armor for the (Future) King Philipp II Habsburg (1527-1598) ca. 1544. Made in Augsburg by Desiderius Helmschmied (1513-1579) Charles V commissioned this armor from his Augsburg court armourer Desiderius Helmschmid in 1544 for his then 17-year-old son Philipp. The armour was once part of a large garniture, additional pieces of which have survived in Madrid (Real Armería, invs. A 189 et al). In 1571, the imperial diplomat Adam of Dietrichstein journeyed to Austria, bringing with him this armour and another one made for Emperor Charles V as gifts from Philip II, King of Spain, for Archduke Ferdinand II. Dietrichstein was accompanying Archduke (later Emperor) Rudolf II and his younger brother Ernest, who were returning to Austria after a lengthy sojourn at the court of their uncle, Philip II. Back in Austria there seems to have been some delay in transporting these two armours from Vienna to Innsbruck, because the following February we find Ferdinand impatiently enquiring about them. He asked for them to be ‘carefully packed’ (gut verpackt) and to be dispatched to Innsbruck immediately. They seem to have arrived in the spring of 1572 and were installed in the Armoury of Heroes at Ambras Castle. Philip’s armour was first listed in the 1583 inventory as ‘Philip II, King in Spain. A white cuirass with gilt and etched bands’ (Phillipus der Ander, könig in Hispnia. Ain plankher khürisz mit verguldten und göczten reifen). Today, Philip’s armour is displayed without a helmet because whoever packed the pieces in Madrid in 1571 packed the wrong helmet. The helmet mistakenly dispatched to Vienna is a close burgonet (Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Imperial Armoury, from the so-called Algiers Garniture made for Charles V around 1540 that also remains in Madrid. Height: 167 cm Weight: 18 kg

🇮🇹⚔️Proofed Cuirassier Armor of Giacomo Malatesta (1530-1600) made in Milan ca. 1560 “Proofing” was done by shooting the armor with a firearm before being sold to demonstrate it could stop projectiles. Note the proof marks on breastplate AND the helmet (helmet is MAYBE battle damage) ; you can see how thick this proofed armor was when looking at the helmet wrapper/visor. The identification of this previously unknown harness with the armor of Giacomo Malatesta was succeeded by O. Gamber in 1958 according to the illustration in Jakob Schrenck von Notzing's 1601 published picture inventory of the Ambraser collection. Giacomo Malatesta took part as a boy in the campaigns of Charles V against Algiers (1541) and Kleve (1543). After that, he repeatedly fought against the Turks in Venetian service. Malatesta was captured in Albania before 1572, but released against ransom and ended his career as Venetian commander-in-chief.

👑🇩🇪🇦🇹Visored Close Sallet of future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I Habsburg (1459-1519) Made in Augsburg ca. 1490 by Lorenz Helmschmied. This sallet was a new type probably invented by Lorenz Helmschmid for Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519) around the time he became head of the Holy Roman Empire in 1493. Its construction, with the falling buffe (chin defense) pivoting on the same points as the visor, anticipates the development of close helmets around 1510. The gilt fleur-de-lis trim, which originally bordered the entire helmet, is a typical late Gothic decoration on armors of high quality and is found on several that belonged to Maximilian and other members of the Habsburg court. •Dimensions: H. 12 in. (30.5 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm); D. 12 3/8 in. (31.4 cm); Wt. 4 lb. 15.7 oz. (2261 g)

🇩🇪Etched Close Helmet made in Nuremberg ca. 1550 by Kunz Lochner •Dimensions: H. 12 3/4 (32.4 cm); W. 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm); D. 13 in. (33 cm); Wt. 6 lb. 9 oz. (2975 g)

🇮🇹Milanese Etched Half Harness for The Field made ca. 1560 Note the “peas cod” shaped breastplates of the 2nd half of the 16th Century. We also see the fully evolved close helm. This may have been worn with or without leg armor. Dimensions: Height 102 cm Weight: 16.65 kg.

🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Royalist Pikemen English Civil War ca. 1642 Illustration by Angus McBride

⚔️Do you prefer the aesthetic of European Arms & Armor of the first half of the 15th Century or the second half? Illustrations by Graham Turner Drop a comment on which one and why! Curious to hear peoples thoughts.👇🏻