Cantle Plate ca. 1565-75 German, Augsburg or Nuremberg Despite its damaged condition, the rich decoration of this cantle plate indicates that it once belonged to a very important armored saddle. The design, gilt overall, is dominated by three symmetrically placed figural scenes in rectangular panels, each flanked by a profile bust in an oval cartouche. The cartouches and the panels are embedded in a dense ground of open strapwork and intricate tracery motifs in a style evocative of the finest goldsmiths' work produced in Nuremberg and Augsburg during the third quarter of the sixteenth century.Figural ornament employed in armor decoration was almost always copied from, or at least inspired by, published prints, many of which were specifically created to serve as models for goldsmiths, cabinetmakers, and decorators in various media. The decoration here is no exception: both the narrative scenes and the busts are based on the works of Virgil Solis (1514-1562) of Nuremberg one of the most