Bidspirit auction | A C. 16TH CENTURY DUTCH

A C. 16TH CENTURY DUTCH STEEL BREAST PLATE WITH TASSETS, EIGHTY YEARS WAR - A finely crafted steel breastplate, complete with its original tassets, produced in the Netherlands at the end of the 1500s or beginning years of the 1600s, in the midst of the Eighty Years War between Habsburg Spain and the burgeoning Dutch Republics. This style of armor was most commonly used by Pikemen, the iconic spear-wielding foot soldiers of the so-called 'Pike and Shot' era. The breastplate is characteristic of late Renaissance and Early-Modern design, with an angled midrib down the front and a flared waistline for deflecting weapons. The front is engraved with angled lines which have been partially polished down over the centuries. The tassets are affixed with a multitude of rivets, some for structural reinforcement but most for decoration, particularly the circular placements toward the bottom. The Netherlands, late 16th or early 17th century. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All lots are sold ”as-is”, refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions offers in-house shipping. In case we can not accommodate a shipping request, a list of additional shippers will be provided. Dimensions: H: 14 3/4 in., (37.5 cm.) Condition: Good for its age with expected pitting throughout surface. There is a small crack to the bottom center and a small section of loss to the bottom left. The leather straps are probably an old replacement.