The Met Store Office*Retro 51 Tudor Armor Rollerball Pen

The intricate detailing on this rollerball pen from Retro 51 pays tribute to an imposing suit of armor for field and tournament use (1586), made in the royal workshops at Greenwich under the direction of master armorer Jacob Halder (British, documented 1558–1608) and now in The Met collection. It was designed for George Clifford, Third Earl of Cumberland and an illustrious Knight of the Garter as of 1592. Beloved by Queen Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603), Clifford requested that his armor garniture bear the Tudor rose (the queen’s family emblem), the French fleur-de-lis (then part of the English arms), and two Es back-to-back (Elizabeth’s cipher). This remarkable suit is exemplary of the artisans’ decorative and technical mastery and serves as the best-preserved example of armor…See More