Riefelharnisch, Riefelküriss für Feld und Turnier

In 1580 Louis, Duke of Württemberg sent Archduke Ferdinand II a set of armour made for his father, Duke Christoph, and another made for his grandfather, Duke Ulrich. Ferdinand had requested both for the Armoury of Heroes he was assembling at Ambras Castle near Innsbruck, which housed the arms and armour of famous contemporaries and historical personages.

Ulrich’s reign coincided with a period of great social, religious, and political upheavals. In 1498, as an eleven-year-old, he had succeeded to the dukedom with the help of King (later Emperor) Maximilian I, but in 1519 he was driven from Württemberg by the Swabian League, whose members objected to policies they deemed hostile to the nobility. Only after several attempts, and with the support of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, was Ulrich able to return in 1534, holding Württemberg under Austrian suzerainty.

His fluted armour imitates the fashionable pleated clothes then sported by members of the elite, creating a surface that glistens in the sun. Fluting also increased the structural strength of the plates, allowing armourers to produce armour that was thinner and therefore lighter without compromising strength and protection. This, however, required precision and virtuoso craftsmanship, which hugely increased the cost of such an armour. Note also Ulrich’s narrow waist (69 cm in circumference) and his visor. Visors decorated with a human, animal, or fantastic face reflected the fact that many tournaments were hosted during Carnival as part of the mummeries staged during this season.