The Age Of Armor: Treasures From The Higgins Armory Collection At The Worcester Art Museum

From the warriors of ancient Greek legends, to the knights of the Middle Ages, to the superheroes of today’s popular culture, the idea of personal body armor has an enduring hold on the human imagination. Although armor is as old as human civilization and has been used in various forms in societies around the globe, full suits of articulated steel plates were made predominantly in Europe, and only for a brief time in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance period.

Curated from the Worcester Art Museum’s impressive Higgins Armory Collection, this exhibition explores the ways in which armor was used and transformed due to technological innovations and evolving styles of warfare from the Middle Ages to the 17th century. Visitors will discover the different and often surprising stories embedded in these powerful objects — many painstakingly engineered, elegantly designed, and treasured as the expression of their owners’ taste, sophistication, and prowess.