Küriss der Goldtauschierten Garnitur

Charles of Austria, Margrave of Burgau and Count of Nellenburg and Hohenberg, was the second son born to Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria, and his morganatic first wife Philippine Welser. Because their mother was only the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Charles and his elder brother Andrew were titled ‘of Austria’ but were not made archdukes.

Charles decided to pursue a military career, at first in the Low Countries and from 1592 in Hungary, where he fought against the Ottomans and participated in the siege of Györ in 1597. He resided first at Ambras Castle near Innsbruck and then at Günzburg Castle in Swabia. His marriage to Sibylla of JülichCleve-Berg remained childless, but his mistress Elisa Ferrari bore him three children.

In 1582/83, Jakob Topf, Archduke Ferdinand’s court armourer at Innsbruck, delivered a series of armours to Ambras Castle, among them this double cuirass made for Charles of Burgau. For this he was paid 518 guilders in three instalments in 1583. The final instalment of 59 guilders ‘for work delivered’ (für gelieferte Arbeiten) was paid by the Tyrolian Hofkammer (central financial authority), together with the 64 guilders and 13 kreuzer due to the goldsmith Elias Stark. These payments were presumably related to this armour. It is dated 1582 and was formerly in the collection at Ambras Castle, where it was described as ‘a blued armour with damascene work in gold and silver’ (ain blaue angeloffne rüstung mit gold- und silbertauschierarbait); in the 1621 inventory it is listed as ‘blued and with beautiful inlays in silver and gold’ (mit silber und guldiner plaumacharbait schön eingelegt).

The armour is blued, edged with silver beads, and decorated with damascened bands in silver and gold featuring moresque plant motifs interspersed with gilt trophies and medallions showing fashionably dressed figures and mythological and Classical heroes.