Replica of a Dutch 17th Century gorget found at the wreck site of the BATAVIA
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
This replica gorget is based on the leather gorgets found in the wreck of the Dutch East India Company ship BATAVIA. A large concretion found at the wreck site was broken open, revealing detailed impressions of several gorgets. Conservators made silicone moulds of the gorgets and then created replicas. This replica is made from cast lead alloy with a fiberglass backing.
Gorgets were a type of armour worn over the torso to protect vital organs from injury without limiting the mobility of the wearer. With the development of firearms, gorgets became symbols of status rather than effective armour. The gorgets found at the wreck site were arranged neatly in rows. Evidence of wood found around them suggests that they were stored in a box, possibly as trade items.
- Title: Replica of a Dutch 17th Century gorget found at the wreck site of the BATAVIA
- Type: Armour
- Significance: This replica gorget is a representative example of armour onboard the Dutch vessel BATAVIA when it wrecked off the Western Australian coast in 1629. It highlights the presence of the powerful Dutch East India Company in Australia, prior to British exploration. It illustrates the significant role Dutch merchants played in putting Australia - then referred to as New Holland - on the map.
- See institution's online collections: http://www.anmm.gov.au/collections
- Medium: Cast lead alloy, fibreglass backing
- Dimensions: 170 x 245 mm, 0.25 kg
- Credit line: ANMM Collection Transferred from Australian Netherlands Committee on Old Dutch Shipwrecks
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