Germany, Augsburg / c. 1571
Pommel Plate of a Saddle, from the Garniture of Rudolf II
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Pommel Plate of a Saddle, from the Garniture of Rudolf II as arms and armor (Germany, Augsburg · c. 1571).
Once part of a saddle, this plate protected the rider's thigh.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as blued, etched, and gilded steel and credits Anton Peffenhauser (German, 1525–1603).
The museum's collection notes: This plate, one of two and once part of a saddle, is from tournament armor made for man and horse made for the sons of Emperor Maximilian II, archdukes Rudolf and Ernst. Most of the remaining elements of this armor are still in the collections of the Imperial Armouries in Vienna. The decorative pattern (in the imperial colors of black and gold) forms elegant knots, with distinctive foliage and hop sprigs filling the loops.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPommel Plate of a Saddle, from the Garniture of Rudolf IIOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.