Gorget

The early history of this armoured collar is unclear although it is likely it came from the French Royal Armouries. During the nineteenth century it was in the Cabinet d'Armes of the Emperor Napoleon III at the Chateau Pierrefonds, where inventories of 1865 and 1867 annotate it with the letters 'M.L.' for Musée de Louvre.

This gorget is an item of costume armour rather than battle protection. By the early seventeenth century it was increasingly common for men to proclaim their military professions by combining pieces of armour or weaponry with civilian clothing. Sometimes this might just be aspirational as gorgets, spurs, swords, and daggers took on the role of dress accessories.