Antique 16th Century Renaissance Period European Knight Armor Decorated With Ottoman Tulips
$1,850.00
Extremely rare antique, 16th century (Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent period), part of the armour (Arm Harness Vambrace). The armour is extremely well made in typical European style, composed of five steel plates engraved with tulips flowers springing from leafy tufts. The tulips are one of the characteristic Ottoman decorative motives of the 16th century and frequently appear on Turkish Art during the 16th century such as on Iznik ceramic, metal work, and textiles.
After carefully studying this armor, I concluded that the armor is European, which the Ottomans obtained as a war bounty during the military campaigns of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent; Belgrade (1521), Rhodos Island (1522–23), or Mohács (1526)
So, it is possible that the armor belonged to an important European knight and was presented as part of the war bounty of the Sultan himself or another high commander of the Ottoman army and later was adorned with a typical 16th-century Ottoman tulips decoration.
There are many 16th century European arms and armour in the Turkish Military Museum (Askerî Müze) in Istanbul which were obtain by Ottomans as the war booty.
Overall length: 21 cm (8.27 inches).
CONDITION: pitted.
