Armor of Charles the Fifth, Morion and Chanfron, Antique Print, 1851

This is an original antique chromolithograph, printed in steel gray, silver and gold, showing three numbered pieces of armor. At the right, numbered 1, is a three quarter armor of fluted steel with gilt borders and a small gilt figure on the breast, its helmet worked as a head of gilt curling hair and beard around a dark visor, with articulated arms and gauntlets. At the upper left, numbered 2, is a morion with a crested skull and upswept brim, engraved overall with gilt scrolls. At the lower left, numbered 3, is a steel chanfron with gilt borders and a projecting spike.

The running head reads "LE MOYEN-ÂGE ET LA RENAISSANCE." at the left and "ARMURERIE Pl. XIX." at the right. Below the image are the credits "Rivaud et Soltau del.", "Chromolith. Lemercier." and "H. Moulin Lith.". The caption reads "1. ARMURE dite de CHARLE-QUINT (XVIe Siècle) Armeria real de Madrid. 2. CASQUE ou MORION de Piéton, fer gravé et doré (travail Italien du XVIe Siècle.) 3. CHANFREIN en fer gravé, ornements dorés (XVIe Siècle) Musée National de Cluny." (1. armor called that of Charles V, sixteenth century, Royal Armory of Madrid; 2. helmet or morion for a foot soldier, engraved and gilt iron, Italian work of the sixteenth century; 3. chanfron of engraved iron with gilt ornament, sixteenth century, Musée de Cluny), followed by "F. Séré direxit."

Le Moyen Âge et la Renaissance was edited by Paul Lacroix, who also wrote as the Bibliophile Jacob, with Ferdinand Séré directing the illustrations, and was published in Paris in five volumes between 1848 and 1851. Its chapters, written by a range of specialists, survey the arts, crafts, sciences and customs of Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, and its plates reproduce objects, manuscripts and buildings in public and private collections of the day. This plate comes from the fourth volume, of 1851, where it accompanies the section headed "Armurerie" (armor). The three pieces come from different places, as the numbered caption sets out.

The plate can be framed on its own or hung with other plates from the work.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.