The museum has a couple of rooms dedicated to tournaments in the early modern period, centering these on the 'Field of the Cloth of Gold' when Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France engaged in a massive and extravagant tournament in 1520. (Meant to inaugurate and celebrate a treaty of 'Universal Peace' in Europe they were at war within 2 years!)
Armour of Christian I, Elector of Saxony. Made in Augsburg 1590
Like the armour in the OU video, the decoration on display is stunning and must have been astoundingly costly.
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| Henry VIII's tonlet armour, made for the Field of the Cloth of Gold tournament, 1520 | Close helmet with grotesque visor incorporating a moustache |
The exhibition discusses the role of nobles within what was a hugely choreographed diplomatic spectacle, and their relationships with their monarchs. Their get-ups and entourages were crippling expensive and fell on the nobles to fund. At the last minute (well with 3 months to go) Francis changed the tournament rules and Henry had to commission a completely new set of armour.
I loved the 'metal moustache'!! This was from a different tournament, and illustrated just how much display and spectacular costume was part of these events.
King Henri II of France's 'Lion Armour' - About 1550
This is just an astoundingly beautiful and intricate piece artwork - and to imagine that you were rich enough to allow the possibility that someone else was going to hit it with a poleaxe! 😱
Armour for combat on foot, c. 1560
I thought this was a nice image to end with. Armour for a mercenary in the service of the Holy Roman Empire, fighting in European 'wars of religion' across the early modern period.