15th-17th century
China
Object qualities
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Objecthorse equipment or accessory: Breast defense (Peytral) from a horse armor
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Type of arts & crafts
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MediumLeather, iron, brass or copper alloy, silver, gold, shellac, pigments, textile, hair
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SizeH. 22 1/2 in. (57.2 cm); W. 25 5/8 in. (65.1 cm)
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Geography detailsCountry of Origin
China -
Country today
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Date15th-17th century
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CultureTibetan or Mongolian
Source of information
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Type of sourceDatabase “Metropolitan Museum of Art”
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Fund that the source refers toMetropolitan Museum of Art
Description
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In terms of its decoration, this peytral displays a far greater variety of motifs, executed in a more fluid and accomplished style, than any other comparable example of Tibetan horse armor. At the center of the upper section there is a Wish-Granting Jewel on a lotus throne flanked by symmetrical sprays of lush leafy stems and blossoms, and in the center of the lower section there is a Right-turning Conch Shell. The borders of the central sections are edged with silver wire, while the other sections have copper wire, both sewn in a fine chain stitch. Carbon 14 tests of the leather resulted in a date range of 1402 to 1626.