A RARE EMBOSSED BACKPLATE C.1550, BAVARIAN OR AUSTRIAN

This backplate is from an armor of exceptional quality and a type which evolved in south central Europe in the mid 16th century.  It is of so called black and white design with raised relief decoration which was polished bright and a recessed background which was blackened.  The majority of armors decorated in that way came later and the decoration almost exclusively took the form of broad plain bright bands on the blackened ground.  In the broad bands, this example employs a tapered sweeping form with the upper edge curving tangent to the intersecting border.  More significantly, the upper border, arm borders and skirt border all employ a repeated deeply angled scalloped motif descending directly from Gothic design.  Additionally, the top center is decorated around a raised heart.  Armors so decorated, including variations of decorative elements, are attributed to Bavaria and Austria.  Some notable examples survive in the arsenal at Graz, Styria, two of which, dated C.1550 and 1555 respectively, are illustrated in Imperial Austria, Art, Arms and Armor.

Provenance: Hengrave Hall, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Extended Layaway is available for this item.