Fußkampfharnisch (Kempfküriss)

This armour for foot combat was originally made for Claude de Vaudrey, a Burgundian nobleman and one of the period’s most colourful figures. Vaudrey was famous for his bravery and his martial skills, both on the battlefield and in the lists, and for organizing elaborate tournaments.

The armour was first listed in 1555 in the inventory of the arsenal at Innsbruck as a trophy won by Maximilian I in a tournament: ‘It had belonged to a Burgundian lord called Claude Wadri, who had fought in it against Emperor Maximilian … and which His Imperial Majesty had won and which he had taken’ (so ainem Burgundischen herrn, Claudi Wadri genant, zuegehörig gewest darinnen er mit kaiser Maximilian … gekempft und hochermelte kais. maj. erobert und also der beruert kuriss zu derselben handen genomen worden). This duel was probably fought during the Diet of Worms held in 1495. Legend has it that Vaudrey had had a vision in which he was told to challenge the ‘world’s preeminent king’ in the lists. This is why he asked to enter the lists with Emperor Maximilian. The sources describe the joust at Worms as one fought by mounted opponents, but this was generally followed by a combat on foot. Freydal, Maximilian’s tournament book (c.1512/13; fol. 39) contains an idealized illustration of his victory in this sensational duel.

Vaudrey’s armour was stamped with the master’s mark of two Milanese mastercraftsmen: MER (with a crown) is a reference to a member of the Merate or Meraviglia families, both well-known dynasties of armourers, and DMY (with a cross) is the mark of Damiano Missaglia. Two different master’s marks suggest that this splendid armour was a collaborative effort. Alternatively, Vaudrey may have assembled his armour himself by selecting and configuring the best component pieces.

The long tonlet is designed to protect the wearer’s lower quadrants of the abdomen during the relatively brutal combat on foot, without restricting his mobility. The same is true of the armour’s broad shoulders. The head can move inside the helmet, which is firmly bolted to breastplate and backplate. Maximilian also owned another very similar, completely gilt tonlet armour (inv. B 71).