Italy / c. 1560–70
Pauldron for Right shoulder
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Pauldron for Right shoulder as arms and armor (Italy · c. 1560–70).
A pauldron is a component of plate armor that covers the shoulder and often the armpit, and parts of the back and chest as well.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as steel, blued and gilded.
The museum's collection notes: This element for the shoulder once belonged to a suit decorated by the bluing technique, a process of superheating armor plates to achieve a deep blue color. Bluing required heating to at least 590 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which oxidation occurs. Although the original color is now darkened it would have originally been a deep shade of blue. It was further enhanced with gilding to create additional contrast for a refined appearance.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPauldron for Right shoulderOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.