The Age of Armor: Treasures from the Higgins Armory Collection

From the warriors of ancient Greek legends to the knights of the middle ages to today's comic book superheroes, the idea of personal body armor has an enduring hold on the human imagination. Armor is as old and widespread as civilization itself, but full suits of articulated steel plates were made only in Europe, and only for a brief time in the late middle ages and renaissance. Far from the ungainly exoskeleton we often imagine today, the suit of armor was made to be sleek and stylish-painstakingly engineered, elegantly designed, and treasured as the expression of its owner's taste, sophistication, and prowess. This rare exhibition of highlights from one of America's foremost collections of arms and armor explores the story of armor in its golden age.