A question for all you devotees of Gothic armour. In one of the large halls in the Ruestkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna are two very similar (and superb) armours, nos. A60 and A62, both by Lorenz Helmschmied. When I was last there, some years ago, A60 was labelled as Emperor Maximilian I and A62 as Archduke Sigismund, and the catalogue (pub. 1976) identified them the same way. I have now noticed that the recent catalogue of 'Masterworks' (pub. 2005) identifies A62 as Maximilian. So my question is: has A62 been re-attributed? did both armours belong to Maximilian? have the identities been switched? or is it all down to a mis-print? I am curious and I think we should know the truth!
Thanks for any light on the problem.
Neil

Archduke Sigismund of Tirol's armour at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, made by Lorenz Helmschmid ca. 1484 in Augsburg (now in Germany).
[ Linked Image ]

Pierre Terjanian told me a few years ago that absolutely no evidence had been found that Archduke Sigmund had ever bought anything from Helmschmid :eek: , and the records in Innsbruck and Hall are pretty complete.

Thanks to both. Shahril's photo is certainly the armour in doubt (A62). The Helmschmied family worked in Augsburg, of course, so there might be some records of their business there even if there are none in Sigismund's Archduchy of the Tirol. But then I am happy to accept Pierre Terjanian's opinion. In that case how did Sigismund's name come to be attached to this harness?
Neil

I am interested by the topic. James, do you know more informations?

From the myArmoury article Anatomy of Armour: Gothic Armour of the 15th Century

http://www.myArmoury.com/feature_gothic_armour.html

Quote:

It is undoubtedly that of the Archduke Sigmund. Maximillian I (1459-1519) probably used it himself when he was a young prince and presumably presented it to his uncle Sigmund, who succeeded him in 1490 as Lord of the Tyrol, part of the Hapsburg Empire