The appearance of this armor is due largely to the extensive alterations and restorations that were made to redecorate and complete it in the 19th century. Because of its heavlily compromised condition, this armor is not a valid example of mid-16th century luxury armor. Nevertheless, it is important as one of the more lavish examples of armor forgery in the 19th century.
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Title:Half Armor attributed to Don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba y Fernández de Córdoba, Duke of Sessa (1520/1524–1578)
Armorer:Attributed to Lucio Piccinino (Italian, Milan, active ca. 1575–90)
Date:partially mid-16th century, comprehensively reworked in the 19th century
Geography:Milan
Culture:Italian, Milan
Medium:Steel, gold
Dimensions:Wt. approx. 30 lb. 7 oz. (13.8 kg); Wt. of helmet approx. 7 lb. 11 oz. (
Classification:Armor for Man-1/2 Armor
Credit Line:Rogers Fund, 1904
Accession Number:04.3.270a–o
Inscription: Inscribed on the gorget: C (for Cordoba) M (probably refering to a maternal surname); on the breastplate, in a cartouche accompanying a figure of Victory: AVT. MORS. AVT. VICORIA. LETA.
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar Gómez de Sandoval y Mendoza, 7th Duke of Infantado, Guadalajara (in 1643; by descent through the Dukes of Infantado to the Dukes of Osuna); Mariano Téllez-Girón y Beaufort-Spontin, 12th Duke of Osuna, Dinant, Belgium (before 1882); [Frédéric Spitzer, Paris, until d. 1890; his estate, 1890–95; Armes et armures faisant partie de la collection Spitzer, Georges Petit, Paris, June 10–14, 1895, no. 19, sold, for Fr. 52,000, to Dino]; Charles Maurice Camille de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Dino, Paris (1895–1904; sold to MMA).
Paris. Musée de l'Armée. "Exposition Universelle Internationale de 1889: Exposition Rétrospective du Travail et des Sciences Anthropologiques," 1889, no. 634.
Maurice, Jean Baptiste. Le blason des armoiries de tous les chevaliers de l'Ordre de la Toison D'Or depuis la premier institution jusques à present.. The Hague, p. 242.
Unknown. "Rüstungen und Waffen." In Meyers Konversations-Lexikon. Leipzig: Bibliographisches Institut, fig. 9.
Exposition universelle de 1889. Catalogue Général Officiel: Exposition Rétrospective du Travail et des Sciences Anthorpologiques. Vol. 5. Arts Militaires. Lille: L. Danel, 1889. p. 84, no. 643.
Spitzer, Frédéric. "Armes et Armures." In La Collection Spitzer: Antiquité--Moyen-Âge--Renaissance. Vol. VI. Paris: Maison Quantin, 1892. no. 19, pl. 10–11.
Galerie Georges Petit. Catalogue des Armes et Armures Faisant Partie de la Collection Spitzer. Paris: Galerie Georges Petit, June 10–14 1895. no. 19, ill. (this armor, no attribution or provenance given).
Cosson, Charles Alexander. Le Cabinet d'Armes de Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Dino. Paris: E. Rouveyre, 1901. pp. 17–18, no. A.8, pl. 5 (provenance given as ex-Intantado and Osuna armories).
Laking, Guy Francis, Sir, Charles Alexander Cosson, and Francis Henry Cripps-Day. A Record of European Armour and Arms Through Seven Centuries. Vol. III. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1920. pp. 330–33, fig. 1082, ill.
Haenel, Erich. "Mailänder prunkharnische der hochrenaissance und ihre Meister." In Italienische Studien : Paul Schubring zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet / mit 78 Textabbildungen und 1 Porträt. Leipzig, Germany: Hiersemann, 1929. pp. 92–93.
Beard, Charles R. "A New-Found Casque by the Negroli." The Connoisseur CI p. 296 (this armor listed as earliest armor attributable to Lucio Piccinino).
Boccia, Lionello G., Fabio Rossi, and Marco Morin. Armi e Armature Lombarde. Milan: Electa, 1980. p. 172, ill.
Scalini, Mario. Armature da Cosimo I a Cosimo II de'Medici. 1st ed. Florence, Italy: Edizioni Arnaud, 1990. pp. 22–24, 28, n. 16, fig. 17, ill.
Bull, Stephen. An Historical Guide to Arms and Armor, edited by Tony North, editor. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 1991. p. 96, ill. (this armor, illustrated together with shield 04.3.271).
Scalini, Mario. Capolavori a Sbalzo per i Medici : Cellini e Altri Maestri. 1st ed. Florence, Italy: Edizioni Arnaud, 1992. p. 7, fig. 1 (MMA armor mentioned as that of Cosimo I de'Medici and compared to "Judith" shield in Dresden).
Pyhrr, Stuart W. "S. J. Whawell and the Art Market." The Eleventh Park Lane Arms Fair: Sunday 6th February 1994: the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London W1: 10.30 AM–6.00 PM p. 23, under fig. 1082 (provenance of this piece mentioned).
Luchinat, Cristina Acidini, and Maria Sframeli. Magnificenza Alla Corte Dei Medici: Arte a Firenze Alla Fine Del Cinquecento. Milan: Electa, 1997. pp. 398–99, ill.
Godoy, José-A., and Silvio Leydi. Parures Triomphales: Le Maniérisme dans l'Art de l'Armure Italienne. Milan: 5 Continents, 2003. pp. 242–43, 248 (burgonet possibly of related workmanship).
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