Composite German Suit of Maximilian Armor

Many suits of armor are composite, having been assembled by armorers from components made in different places and at different times. In some cases, mismatched pieces were reworked to adjust their size or to match decorative motifs. In other instances, new pieces were fabricated to match missing pieces so that a complete suit could be assembled. All of these common traits are found in object. The close helmet (1515-1520) has been traced through four auction sales since 1876 prior to becoming part of this suit. Several pieces are marked indicating they were made in the city of Nuremburg. Armorer Raymond Bartel assembled this suit for collector Carl Otto Kretzschmar von Kienbusch and in the process modified original pieces and replicated others. Bartel added a culet of three lames to the original German backplate (ca 1520-1530) sometime between 1924 and 1937. Aspects of the arm and leg defenses have been altered and original pieces copied to provide matching pairs.

Although this suit was never worn by Hernando de Soto or his men, it represents some of the armor elements available to conquistadors at the time of De Soto's expedition in 1539. De Soto's army of soldiers, hired mercenaries, craftsmen, and clergy made landfall at Tampa Bay in what is now Florida. During their four-year, 4,000 mile quest for gold and glory, they met with fierce resistance from indigenous people protecting their homelands. De Soto's odyssey was one of intrigue, warfare, disease, and discovery. Disease and warfare brought to the New World by De Soto and other explorers had devastating consequences for Native Americans.