New-York tribune., 1922-09-18
Rare Ar1nor
Acquired by
Metropolitan
Two Suits of Engraved
Horse Trappings Make
Collection the Equal of
That Displayed in Paris
From am Ancient Castle
Italian Owner, His Estate
ON Piaye Destroyed in
War, ,Disposes of Panoplies

Two new suits of horse armor have
been acquired by the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, giving this phase of
the local armor collection prominence
equal to those Of Paris and greater
than the worlds most famous general
armor collection in Vienna The ac-
QUESTION of these two panoples. as
they are called, both of which are not
able Italian specimens of the sixteenth
century, was announced yesterday, and
they may now be seen in the arn,or
gallery set up in relation to their
actual use. They we're obtained by
museum purchase
Horse armor is now one of the great
est of artistic rarities, according TO
DR.. Bashford Dean, curator of armor
fnr -. the museum, who considers the two
new suits, particularly because they
virtually are complete, as additions of
tne greatest importance. To-day, ho
SAID, nearly all complete suits have
disappeared. The Tower of London has
but seven of them, Paris five, Dresden
seven, Madrid seven, Berlin six and
Vienna three. The Metropolitan now
has five.
From an Ancient Castle
lhe specimens, which were acquired
ny reason OF a remarkable chain of in
eldents occurring during the war, re-
laVed oy Dr. Dean, came from an an
cclent castle called Collalto, in the Prov
ince Of Treviso, near the Piave. Both
are beautifully chased, and the finer
specimen is that with engraved saddle,
which is probably Venetian and dates
from about 1915. The second panoply
Is north Italian, from about 1850. They
are decorated with renaissance tracer
les and figures and exemplify the finest
style of workmanship of north Italian
armorers. They are believed to have
belonged to personages Of high rank,
and in view of their source may shave
been used by Antoine " of Collalto.
who early served with Emmanuel Phili-
bert, of Savoy, and was elected gem
eraiissimo Of the republic of Venice
Records show that these pieces re-
manned in the castle Collalto until re-
cent years, which fact attests in favor
of their attribution.
Both suits are unusually complete,
1t Is said, retaining gear for head
(chamfron), back and front of neck
(crinets and cuello)-the latter ex-
tremely rare-breastplate (peytrel)
and crupper. The backplate of the sad
die Of the earlier harness and a flank
guard (fanchardl Of the later are res
torations. Upon the later suit horse
mans armor has been Professionally
mounted for exhibition.
Both Highly Engraved
The decoration of this panoply is
more unusual than the earlier enaci
men, bright and engraved areas alter
mating, the latter consisting of vertical
bands of ornament from three to six
inches wide, which are crossed by
slightly narrower horizontal bands.
There is hardly point on the other
example which is not engraved. The
ornament occurs in panels separated
by. bands, the motifs being figures,
animals and foliation.
Had certain war council not met
in the region Of Verona this armor
probably would not have been obtain
able for the museum. DR.. Dean, in
the September bulletin Of the museum,
which is issued to-day, tells the cir
cumstances by which the purchase was
accomplished.
The war council mentioned in 1918
found it expedient to lombard a GER
tain castle in order to advance the
Italian lines on the Piave. This castle
was the ancient seat of the Collalto
family, and when fire was directed
upon it Its custodian placed the valu-
able objects of the armory in farm
wagons for transportation to the own
er's home in Vienna. All but one of
these wagons and their contents dis
appeared, struck by shells, it is said.
The contents of the other, containing
among other fragments the two horse
panoplies in question, reached the
owner. He regarded, it is said, these
remainders Of his collection rather
obviously, and finding his castle gone
and most Of his ancient armor also
disposed of them to an antiquarian in
Vienna, where they were called to the
attention Of curator Of the Metro
politan and their purchase consum-
mated for the museum.