Sabaton for the Right Foot

The piece of armor that protects the top of the foot is called by the French term "sabaton" (from the old French word for shoe or foot covering). It usually consists of horizontal lames (plates), ending in a toecap, articulated with rivets and straps so as to bend with the movement of the foot. The Armor for a Boy (51.590), displayed close by, includes sabatons.
The hinge visible at the left indicates where the piece opened so that the foot could be enclosed. The presence of a delicate strip of etched decoration running down the center, the side and around the base makes clear that this piece was part of a complete armor, all parts of which would have been etched with the same pattern to create an ensemble that would be not only functional but attractive and therefore underscore the status of the wearer.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

F. Engel-Gros, Castle of Ripaille, Muhlhausen [on the Lake of Geneva]; Sale, Paris, May 30-June 1, 1921, no. 228; Harding, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1921, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.