This gambeson is one of the few seventeenth-century garments in a Dutch museum collection. Leather or textile was a valuable possession for many, and for that reason often worn until threadbare, or it was reused. It is therefore quite exceptional that this thick leather gambeson has been preserved, and in such a good condition too.

This type of garment was mainly worn by horsemen, soldiers and sailors from the second half of the sixteenth century on. The thickness of the material protected the wearer against all forms of danger from the world around. The gambeson was sometimes worn in combination with a cuirass (a type of harness). There are dozens of paintings from that time showing people wearing this tunic.

A gambeson like this was always made of leather, but the model was nevertheless subject to fashion. Its longer front panels allow us to date this exemplar to between 1660 and 1670. The long sleeves are remarkable. These are made of thinner leather than the rest, facilitating movement. The sleeves have deep incisions at the back. The lace closure of braided metal thread with silver fourragere pins running vertically down the front is purely decorative, as the coat has an inside hook-and-eye fastening, with hooks and eyes alternating to prevent the gambeson from falling open due to sudden movements.

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