The Art of Power

I popped downtown to the National Art Gallery to check out their exhibit on Spanish armor, all owned by kings.  The Washington Post has a article on the exhibit, plus photos of the staff readying the exhibit.

The armor was quite different than what I’ve seen on TV.  A museum employee had a few pieces outside the exhibit that we could try on.  One girl found the chainmail surprisingly comfortable because it distributed the weight well.  The employee pointed out that it wouldn’t be the same after she wore it for a couple of hours.  I tried out the gloves.  They were heavy canvas, with an armor covering on top.  I could move my fingers easily enough, but doing things that required any kind of dexterity were not so easy!

The photos in the article don’t do the armor in the exhibit justice.  Because these were for royalty, the armor couldn’t just be plain, functional steel. The armor had to show the king’s power through art.  Each piece had incredibily intricate work done.  One helmet was in the shape of a predatory bird, and other featured two women and a captured soldier.  The latter was made out a single piece of steel.

Even the horses got the fancy stuff, because the horse’s armor had to match the king’s armor.  One matched set was quite extravagant–not only was the metalwork intricate and detailed, but at one point, it had been covered in precious stones.  It must have been quite spectacular!