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The Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters will be closed from 10:00am–1:00pm on December 6th, 7th, 13th, and 14th for public school programming. The site will be open to the public with guided tours from 1:00pm–4:15pm. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Pompeo della Cesa, Field Armor from a Garniture, about 1595; steel, iron, brass, gold, silver, leather, fabric; The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, 2014.112

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.

This exhibition was organized by The Worcester Art Museum and is presented by Telfair Museums.

In collaboration with Georgia Library PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services), Telfair Museums has developed a recommended reading list featuring armor and medieval themed books.
The books will be available at participating libraries in the area.

Learn More 

*First in a series

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court 

Mark Twain (1020L)

Art of War 

Sun Tzu (1550L)

Beowulf (1070L)

Don Quixote 

Miguel de Cervantes (1480L)

Hild

Nicola Griffith 

A Game of Thrones* 

George R.R. Martin (830L)

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings 

J.R.R. Tolkien (1000L, 860L)

Joan of Arc: A History 

Helen Castor 

Night Watch

Terry Pratchett (720L)

The Once and Future King*

T.H. White (1080L)

Igraine the Brave

Cornelia Funke (810L)

The Knight and the Dragon 

Tomie de Paola (650L)

The Knight Owl

Christopher Denise  

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe* 

C.S. Lewis (940L)

Nobody Likes a Goblin 

Ben Hatke (520L)

Once Upon a Tim 

Stuart Gibbs (710L)

The Perfect Sword 

Scott Goto (680L)

Prince & Knight 

Daniel Haack 

Princess Pulverizer: Grilled Cheese and Dragons* 

Nancy Krulik (550L)

Redwall* 

Brian Jacques (800L)

 

Major funding for Age of Armor and Telfair’s five-year exhibition plan provided by the Littlejohn Family Foundation.

Exhibition funding is provided by Inge Brasseler, Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Jepson Jr., and Dr. and Mrs. William T. Moore.

Annual Exhibition Support by Director’s Council Members: Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson, Anonymous, Mr. and Mrs. Dale C. Critz Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Dale C. Critz Sr., Bob Faircloth, Alice and Bob Jepson, Mr. and Mrs. Angus C. Littlejohn, Wilson Morris, Dave and Sylvaine Neises, Thomas V. and Susan G. Reilly, Cathy and Philip Solomons, Stephen D. Taylor, Don and Cindy Waters, Mrs. Cynthia Willett, Ms. Susan Willetts and Mr. Alan K. Pritz, Dr. Victor L. Andrews, Malcolm and Julia Butler, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Coker, Jr., Jan and Lawrence Dorman, Dr. and Mrs. William T. Moore, Mr. C.B. Richardson, Carl and Barbara Sassano, Jacqueline and Ken Sirlin, Marti and Austin Sullivan, Gloria and Durwood Almkuist, Kerry and Lillian Breitbart, Leda Chong and Kevin Dewalt, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Gantt, Lindsay and Brent Harlander, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Haynes III, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Johnston, Kelley and Josh Keller, Mrs. Robert O. Levitt, Linda and Tom McWhorter, Courtney and Jay Neely, Mr. and Mrs. J. Herbert Ogden, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. David E. Paddison, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Rabinowitz, Mr. David A. Rea and Ms. Noelle J. Gauthier, Mr. and Mrs. Steven J. Sayer, Ms. Swann Seiler, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Sheriff, and Randall and Valerie Stolt, Pamela L. and Peter S. Voss.

Related to this exhibition

All(4)
Event

Age of Armor Members Reception & Lecture

June 22 at 5:30pm7pm Jepson Center
Who made the armor, who wore it, how well did it work—and how did it come to be in Savannah half a millennium later? Join Jeffrey L. Forgeng, curator of The Age of Armor, as he takes you on a personal journey through highlights of the exhibition and the centuries of human stories forged into the steel of these objects.
Event

Age of Armor Summer Film Series: A Knight’s Tale

July 13 at 6pm8pm Jepson Center
Heath Ledger stars as a peasant squire who creates a new identity as a knight, along the way encountering the Black Prince, the subject of one of Telfair’s iconic paintings.
Event

Age of Armor Summer Film Series: The Green Knight

July 27 at 6pm8pm Jepson Center
David Lowery’s acclaimed retake on the tale of Sir Gawain. The moody fantasy was widely noted for its cinematography and Dev Patel’s acting as Gawain.
Event

Age of Armor Members Reception & Lecture

June 22 at 5:30pm7pm Jepson Center
Who made the armor, who wore it, how well did it work—and how did it come to be in Savannah half a millennium later? Join Jeffrey L. Forgeng, curator of The Age of Armor, as he takes you on a personal journey through highlights of the exhibition and the centuries of human stories forged into the steel of these objects.
Event

Age of Armor Summer Film Series: A Knight’s Tale

July 13 at 6pm8pm Jepson Center
Heath Ledger stars as a peasant squire who creates a new identity as a knight, along the way encountering the Black Prince, the subject of one of Telfair’s iconic paintings.
Event

Age of Armor Summer Film Series: The Green Knight

July 27 at 6pm8pm Jepson Center
David Lowery’s acclaimed retake on the tale of Sir Gawain. The moody fantasy was widely noted for its cinematography and Dev Patel’s acting as Gawain.
Mailing Address
Telfair Museums
PO Box 10081
Savannah, GA 31412
Phone Number
912.790.8800
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