Right Thigh and Knee Defense (Cuisse and Poleyn) for the Armor of Sir John Scudamore (1541 or 1542–1623) 1913

Here is the right thigh and knee defense for Sir John Scudamore's armor, made of steel sometime in the early 17th century. It’s a piece of functional art, each plate riveted to allow maximum movement, painstakingly forged by hand with its own history of experimentation. Imagine Daniel Tachaux in his workshop: the clang of hammer on metal, the heat of the forge, the precision needed to craft something so both beautiful and practical. Each plate is a gesture, hammered and shaped to fit the contours of the thigh and knee, almost like the artist is sculpting a second skin. I like to think of it as an intimate act. The floral decorations, etched into the metal and overlaid with gold, remind me of the decorative flourishes in illuminated manuscripts. It makes me think of the conversations that artists have across time, borrowing and reimagining each other's ideas. It's a reminder that art, in all its forms, is a continuous and evolving dialogue.