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Miniature Armor for Man and Horse

Miniature Armor for Man and Horse

Date: 2nd half of the 19th, or early 20th century (after the style of the 1540s)
Medium: iron, leather, textile, wood, papier-maché, paint
Dimensions:
Overall: 30 1/2 x 11 x 47 3/4 in. (77.5 x 27.9 x 121.3 cm)
Credit Line:Museum Purchase
Object number: 1954.103.1

While some miniature armor and weapons were made during the Renaissance as toys for the well-to-do, or as curiosities, and more rarely as design models for actual equipment, the majority of preserved examples are of a much more recent date. Models such as these flourished during the 19th century revival of arms collecting.

The miniature on view here is an excellent example of this type of armor although there are some inconsistencies. A shield would not have been carried on horseback and the front section of the horse’s armor would have been too long for the horse to move in battle. The use of fringe on the horse’s armor is correct.

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