South Germany or Austria, Innsbruck, late 15th century / late 1400s
Gothic Breastplate
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Gothic Breastplate as arms and armor (South Germany or Austria, Innsbruck, late 15th century · late 1400s).
As a result of the introduction of plate armor, the shield became superfluous and gradually disappeared from use.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as steel.
The museum's collection notes: This elegantly constructed breastplate consists of two primary plates of steel fastened at center by a rivet. The lower plate is embellished with a border of embossed flutes that converge upward and terminate in a fleur-de-lys. The pair of rivet holes in the upper right breast accommodated a lance rest, now lost.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtGothic BreastplateOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.