Shield
- Culture
- German
- Date
- 1499–1502
- Classification
- Arms & armor
- Collection
- Decorative Arts and Design
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 126
- Dimensions
- 26 3/4 x 12 3/4 x 6 1/4 in. (67.9 x 32.4 x 15.9 cm)
weight: 5 lb. 15 oz. (2.7 kg) - Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 88:1942
NOTES
This colorful shield is called "Hungarian," from its use by the light horsemen of that region. Although they are made of relatively thin wood covered in canvas and leather, shields like this one were tough and resistant to sword cuts while being lightweight. The shields were carried by bodyguards on foot, or used in sporting competitions that took place as part of special festivities, whose participants were armed and costumed in the exotic "Hungarian" manner.
Provenance
by 1931 - 1938
Clarence H. Mackay (1874–1938), Roslyn, Long Island, New York, NY, USA [1]
- 1942
Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers, New York, NY
1942 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased at auction "Armour, Including Two Complete Suits, from the Estate of the Late Clarence H. Mackay" from Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers through the Collector's Corner, New York, NY on July 2, 1942, lot 58 [2]
Notes:
The majority of the provenance for this object has been provided in notes prepared by scholar Walter J. Karcheski Jr. [SLAM document files]. Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[1] 88:1942 was featured in the exhibition "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that ran from August 3 to September 27, 1931. The shield was listed as being lent by Clarence H. Mackay [Grancsay, Stephen. "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor." New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1931, catalogue number 99].
[2] Notes on the Museum's accession record and the Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers invoice indicate that 88:1942 was obtained from the estate of the late Clarence H. Mackay. The relationship between the Mackay estate and Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers is unknown. 88:1942 was purchased by Edmund Lowy of the Collector's Corner who was working on the behalf of the Museum [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, August 6, 1942.
Clarence H. Mackay (1874–1938), Roslyn, Long Island, New York, NY, USA [1]
- 1942
Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers, New York, NY
1942 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased at auction "Armour, Including Two Complete Suits, from the Estate of the Late Clarence H. Mackay" from Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers through the Collector's Corner, New York, NY on July 2, 1942, lot 58 [2]
Notes:
The majority of the provenance for this object has been provided in notes prepared by scholar Walter J. Karcheski Jr. [SLAM document files]. Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[1] 88:1942 was featured in the exhibition "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that ran from August 3 to September 27, 1931. The shield was listed as being lent by Clarence H. Mackay [Grancsay, Stephen. "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor." New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1931, catalogue number 99].
[2] Notes on the Museum's accession record and the Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers invoice indicate that 88:1942 was obtained from the estate of the late Clarence H. Mackay. The relationship between the Mackay estate and Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers is unknown. 88:1942 was purchased by Edmund Lowy of the Collector's Corner who was working on the behalf of the Museum [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, August 6, 1942.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.