Chest armor with flap and stay

The breastplate consists of several components: the breastplate itself, which is smooth with boxed edges; the central part, known as the paunch plate, is tricuspid and crossed by a central rib; and the lower section features a flap divided into three articulated blades, also with a raised central rib, secured with eight rivets on the sides of the upper part. On the right side of the breastplate, there is a German-style ramrod (the metal hook used to balance the lance), which has been added later. Di Carpegna argued that the armor was intended for an infantryman and that the ramrod was therefore unnecessary (di Carpegna 1969, p. 21, n. 103), while Scalini believes that the hole visible under the current rest was used to fix the original one and that the appendix is consistent with the type of armor (Scalini 2018, p. 231, n. VIII.6). The breastplate is in good condition.
By the late fourteenth century in Europe, metal breastplates had largely replaced armor made of chainmail (hauberk) covered with cuir bouilli or small metal plates. These new armors offered enhanced resistance to bladed weapons, despite being heavier and more rigid. The surface of these armors could be smooth, elaborately engraved, or embossed with detailed reliefs depicting both sacred and profane imagery. Additionally, a lining was affixed beneath the breastplate using rivets to ensure a better fit (Gelli 1900, pp. 242 and 248; Oakeshott 2012, pp. 75–95; La Rocca 2017, pp. 51–55).
The mark on this breastplate, located on the left shoulder, has yet to be attributed to a specific workshop. Despite the mid-fifteenth-century distribution of this armor style across southern Germany, Austria, and northern Italy, it remains unclear whether it was crafted by an Austrian workshop (Scalini 2018) or a workshop in northern Italy (di Carpegna 1969). The former hypothesis is supported by a comparison with a breastplate at the Metropolitan Museum in New York that bears the mark of Austrian armorer Hans Prunner (inv. 29–150.80; Mickenberg 1985, pp. 366–367, n. 153). Conversely, the latter hypothesis finds support through a comparison with another breastplate in the same museum, marked by Milanese weapons makers (inv. 53.138.2; Boccia 1982, p. 286), which closely resembles the breastplate in question.
This breastplate is part of the collection of Prince Ladislao Odescalchi (1846–1922), purchased by the Italian State in 1959 and placed in Palazzo Venezia in 1969. This extensive collection was not a family armoury but was formed through targeted purchases from national markets, such as Florence and Rome, and international markets, such as Paris and London, beginning in the late nineteenth century, reflecting Odescalchi’s personal taste (Barberini 2007).

Giulia Zaccariotto

Good.

Located below the collar, at the level of the left shoulder, are two unidentified markings. The first mark consists of an inverted V with a horizontal crossbar, while the second is composed of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines.

Collezione Ladislao Odescalchi (Odescalchi, no. 791);
acquired by the Italian State, 1959;
Rome, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, 1969.

Rome, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, Antiche armi dal sec. IX al XVIII. Già Collezione Odescalchi, May–July 1969;
Narni, former church of San Domenico. Le compagnie di ventura. Mostra di arti figurative e di armi per il VI centenario della nascita di Erasmo di Narni, detto Gattamelata, May–September 1970;
Gardone Val Trompia, Museo delle Armi, Armi antiche a Gardone, September 29, 2007–February 29, 2008;
Rome, Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo; Rome, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, Armi e potere nell’Europa del Rinascimento, July 26–November 11, 2018.

Gelli Jacopo, Guida del raccoglitore e dell’amatore di armi antiche, Milano 1900;
di Carpegna Nolfo (a cura di), Antiche armi dal sec. IX al XVIII. Già Collezione Odescalchi, catalogo della mostra (Roma, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, maggio-luglio 1969), con schede a firma del curatore, Roma 1969, p. 21, n. 103;
Pace Valentino (a cura di), Le compagnie di ventura. Mostra di arti figurative e di armi per il VI centenario della nascita di Erasmo di Narni, detto Gattamelata, catalogo della mostra (Narni, ex chiesa di San Domenico, maggio-settembre 1970), Narni 1970, p. 33, n. 52;
di Carpegna Nolfo, Le armi Odescalchi, Roma 1976;
Boccia Lionello Giorgio, Le armature di S. Maria delle Grazie di Curtatone di Mantova e l’armatura lombarda del '400, Busto Arsizio 1982;
Mickenberg David (a cura di), Songs of Glory. Medieval Art from 900-1500: An Exhibition, catalogo della mostra (Oklahoma City, Museum of Art, 22 gennaio-29 aprile 1985), Oklahoma City 1985;
Barberini Maria Giulia, La collezione Odescalchi di armi antiche: storia della raccolta del principe Ladislao, in «Bollettino d’arte», s. VI, XCI, 2006 (2007), 137/138, pp. 101-114;
Fossà Bianca, Studio conservativo delle armi e armature Odescalchi. Nuove metodologie per la schedatura di una collezione, in «Bollettino d’arte», s. VI, XCI, 2006 (2007), 137/138, pp. 115-142;
Calamandrei Cesare (a cura di), Armi antiche a Gardone. Mostra inaugurale del Museo delle Armi e della Tradizione Armiera di Gardone Val di Trompia, catalogo della mostra (Gardone Val Trompia, Museo delle Armi, 29 settembre 2007-29 febbraio 2008), Brescia 200, 7, p. 97, n. 2.
Oakeshott Ewart, European Weapons and Armour. From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution, Woodbridge 2012;
La Rocca Donald J., How to Read European Armor, New York 2017;
Scalini Mario (a cura di), Armi e potere nell’Europa del Rinascimento, catalogo della mostra (Roma, Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo; Roma, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo  Venezia 26 luglio-11 novembre 2018), con schede a firma del curatore, Cinisello Balsamo 2018, p. 231, n. VIII.6.