Press Releases

April 24th, 2001
Contact: Malory Truman
(508) 853-6015 ext. 26
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Higgins Armory Museum Announces an Exceptional Purchase Of Medieval Armor

The Higgins Armory Museum is pleased to announce the purchase of important medieval armor from the private collection of Mr. R.T. Gwynn, at a sale held on April 24th at Christie's auction house in London.

The museum was the successful bidder on two lots. The first, a Bohemian pavise shield from about 1480, is decorated with a painted scene of an armored St. George in battle with the dragon amidst a towered town and flowering branches, the whole surrounded by a Bohemian prayer to the Virgin Mary. The second lot is a rare Italian breastplate from Milan, made in the German style for export, also dating from about 1480. This piece is from the famous family armory of the castle of Churburg in the Italian Tyrol, and is from a group of breastplates purchased by the counts in the late 15th century. The Gwynn collection was second only to this dynastic armory as the most significant private collection of arms and armor in the world. Since the remaining pieces in the Churburg collection can no longer be sold without Italian government authority - and all of it is considered to be of national importance - it seems unlikely that there will ever again be a sale comparable to the Gwynn auction.

Senior Curator of Arms and Armor, Walter J. Karcheski, Jr. stated that this sale was probably one of the last opportunities for the museum to obtain extremely rare medieval and Renaissance artifacts of great quality and importance. He noted, "not since the collecting heydays of the 1920s and '30s have museums and collectors seen such rich materials available for purchase".

The items arrived at the Higgins Armory Museum in June, and will be on display to visitors sometime in the next year, after conservation.

The Higgins Armory Museum is the only museum in the western hemisphere solely dedicated to arms and armor, and their cultural impact on the world today. The Higgins interprets its collection through special exhibits, symposia, and programs for children, adults, and scholars. Programs and operations are supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

The Higgins Armory Museum is located at 100 Barber Avenue in Worcester, Mass., and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.. The Museum is closed on Mondays and holidays. General admission is $6.75, $6 for senior citizens, $5.75 for children age 6 through 16. Children age 5 and under and members are admitted free. Ample free parking is available.