Closed Burgonet 1500 - 1555

Editor: Here we have a "Closed Burgonet," made of metal by Kolman Helmschmid, sometime between 1500 and 1555. It's housed at the Met. Looking at it, I immediately think about restriction and protection, but there’s something elegant in the design, too. How do you interpret this piece? Curator: It's interesting you say "restriction." Consider the Burgonet not merely as protection, but as a symbol of power and status within a rigid, patriarchal hierarchy. What does it mean to encase the head, the seat of intellect and vision, in such a way? The holes for vision, almost like decorative crosses, are particularly evocative of the constraints imposed by religious doctrine and social expectations. Editor: So, it's not just about physical protection but also about social control? The decorative elements now seem less ornamental and more like signifiers of that control. Curator: Precisely. Consider the artistry involved – the craftsmanship elevates the Burgonet beyond mere utility. The identity of the wearer becomes subsumed within the armor, performatively constructing an image of invulnerability and authority that's intimately connected to gender, class and the theater of power in the medieval period. Who gets to wear this armor, and against whom, speaks volumes. Editor: It’s like the armor itself becomes a language. Thinking about who created it versus who wore it also introduces an interesting dynamic of power and labor. Curator: Exactly! The maker invests incredible skill and artistry, yet serves to enable the power of another. The question isn't just 'what does it protect?' but also, 'what does it perpetuate?' and, critically, 'who benefits?' Editor: This makes me look at the object in a completely different light. Curator: Armor, then, becomes more than just cold steel. It's a loaded object. One way to dismantle it is to question what that armour represented. Editor: I'll never see medieval armour the same way. It really opens your eyes to the layered social meanings embedded within historical objects.