Fingered Gauntlet for the Left Hand c. 1535 - 1540

Curator: This gauntlet is an amazing example of craftsmanship, dating from 1535 to 1540. Crafted by Wolfgang Grosschedel, this "Fingered Gauntlet for the Left Hand" resides here at The Art Institute of Chicago. The material is metal, a crucial element, obviously. What strikes you about it? Editor: Cold. Rigid. It speaks of absolute control and restraint. The reflective surface is austere, yet there are complex decorations… Is it just meant to deflect blows, or does it mean something more? Curator: Function and meaning were interwoven, as they almost always are. Armor production in this period had undergone radical transformation, mirroring developments in industrial manufacture. The metalworkers of the time were adapting new technologies of crafting like molds for shaping complex curves, to maintain both quality and output. Editor: I notice the articulated plates are layered in such a way, providing both flexibility and protection; and these decorative flourishes! Floral motifs near the wrist contrast sharply with the overall utilitarian aesthetic, as does the overall silver colour, catching and throwing the light. What’s their purpose? Curator: To assert status and wealth. But the production itself indicates how artisanal workshops began using division of labor, with specialized sections for each individual production processes to accelerate production and provide customized details like those. Editor: So even in these objects of war, you see the nascent seeds of mass production. The individual artistry starts to merge with collective labor to cater toward those in command, and even create personalized armory reflecting their heraldry? Curator: Precisely. Even something that feels so individual, crafted seemingly with a bespoke approach to protection, mirrors this critical moment in economic restructuring in the medieval era, driven in large part by new military technologies, shaping society more than aesthetics at times. Editor: A cold hand gripping a weapon… Yet also a beautifully wrought object. This has really made me rethink what it meant to be powerful, and the human cost of it. Curator: A true reflection of craftsmanship at a turning point in history.