French

Gorget

1590/1600
Steel, gilding, brass, translucent enamel, and leather

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● On view now — Gallery 239

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Intended to protect the neck, by the late 16th century the gorget had also become a symbol of rank, as men wore the pieces in civilian contexts as a fashionable allusion to military prowess or status. This example is painted with red and black translucent glass enamel, a rare and fragile decoration that has all but shattered off the fine interlace pattern.

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