It can be considered strange to see a portion of the Arts Institute focus on weapons and armor. In fact, I was more than little surprised to see this suit of armor when I ventured to the second floor. While armor design can certainly be construed as a form of art, it doesn't automatically register as such by many people. Perhaps part of the reason why weapons, and to a lesser extent armor do not receive the artistic attention has to do with morality of admiring the tools of killing. People may fear that an appreciation of the artistic merits of fine armor and weapons would be reflected negatively on by society. However, I think when taken into isolation, there is much to learn in terms of art from armor and weapons.
This was the first suit of armor that I encountered. All of these armors were created after the introduction of the first muskets. This fact meant that these are some of the first post-medieval armor designs geared for the new type of warfare. Just observing this suit of armor, it's clear that the plate armor has been significantly toned down. There was no chainmail on this cuirass at all. After all, chainmail are ill-suited for muskets. Instead, plate armor was implemented at this time because muskets were still rather ineffective at penetrating plate armor. The reduction of plates meant greater mobility, whether infantry or cavalry. After the Spanish Tercio tactics and the genius of Gustavus Adolphus, infantry began to play a much larger role than the medieval era.
Indeed, this one continued the general functionality of the previous one, offering similar levels of protection. Also, both suits of armor have gold accents that work well to highlight the different sections of the armor and the parts that connect the suit of armor. In particularly, I am a fan of the way the center fold on the breastplate curves downwards to provide a unique aesthetic. The shape of the helmet is also best remembered as the type worn by Spanish conquistadors. Of course, the steel forgery is excellent, as there appears to be little to no rust of even scratches on the armor. The ability of the armor to remain in pristine condition can be attributed to both the blacksmith and modern preservation ability.
Because I had little time to explore this vast museum, I'm going to postulate that this suit of armor was not of medieval origins. For example, there appears to be no extraneous decorative elements, feather holder or reasonable visor. In addition, as plate armors began to reduce in effectiveness (especially after Agincourt), full suit armors became increasingly ceremonial. Again, much like the previous suits of armor, this one is kept in excellent condition; the shine remains pristine and the overall integrity of the armor remained intact. Of course, suits of armor remain expensive to produce, and it is entirely possible that this suit of armor was a form of heirloom, a family treasure. It may explain the careful quality of each of these armors. Regardless, I must say that the decline in the efficacy of knights in combat meant new combatants would be spared the misery of fighting in a heavy oven on a scorching day.
I can't help but look at these weapons and think somewhat of Chinese weapons. In particular, the fourth pike may have some semblance to it Chinese counterpart. The European bardiche and the spear with the red tassel share striking similarities to the older, Chinese counterparts. I wonder if this was the result of the Silk Road trade, or because of the possibility for two spheres to develop similar weapons with vastly different war tactics. By any means, these pike demonstrates an open approach to weapon design. By experimenting with different tops, these pikes have seen various degrees of action throughout the conflicts of early modern Europe. The ingenuity to create these designs, regardless of origin is by itself a form of artistic expression. While there may be some functional component to each of these designs, I feel that the designers had aesthetics in mind too when they designed these weapons.
Finally we get to this armor here and I am immediately stricken by how similar this is to the corsets that women wear. Indeed, the restricting waist guards is an astounding departure from the relative lax shape of the first three armors that I saw. I also must admit that I observe the most golden accents on this cuirass. Of course, the thing is that this armor gives you the illusion that it restricts the waist. With a cursory knowledge of human anatomy, a man would have to have an abnormal waist line for this to be feasible. This is compounded by the fact that at the end of the cuirass waistline are two flower like prongs that extends itself out a bit. This is the primary contributor to the illusion of thin waist. Most importantly, the sharp shape of the cuirass projects the power and grandeur of the high ranking and nobility offices. It is often said that men who have accumulated great masses of muscles tend to have a inverted triangle body structure. If anything, the shape of this cuirass only serves to emphasis that aspect, thus contributing to wearer's perceived strength.
I throughly enjoyed this section, as it allowed me to take a look at some firsts in my life; I was able to explore real 16th-17th century armor and weapons. Art history classes never focus on the armor and weapons, but I find these to be every bit as artistic as other forms, if such evaluation can be isolated from the malicious purpose of the weapons. Unfortunately, as guns and rifles began to make their debut, all of those armors was render obsolete and combatants were reduced to wearing nothing but coats. Ironically, infantry armors made a comeback during parts of WWII and modern warfare without all the artistic elements that these have. Therefore, I believe these armors should be appreciated for its artistic merit.
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