Chassica Kirchhoff, The Thun-Hohenstein Album. Cultures of Remembrance in a Paper Armory: Series: Armour and Weapons, Vol. 12, The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2023, hardback, 348 pp, 8 colour, 161 b/w illus, 4 diagrams, glossary, bibliography, index, ISBN 9781837650439, £85.00/$125.00

Chassica Kirchhoff, an art historian and curator, has published a book titled "The Thun-Hohenstein Album" which focuses on the study of the second volume of the Thun-Hohenstein albums. These albums consist of drawings of armours and armoured figures from the early 17th century. The book explores the origins, references, and authors of the drawings, as well as the artistic, social, and political contexts in which they were produced. Kirchhoff argues that these drawings were not just technical sketches, but rather tokens of a memorial culture that conveyed symbolic significance. The book is divided into five chapters that analyze different aspects of the album, including plate armour in Augsburg, late medieval martial arts' visual culture, and the commemorative aspect of the drawings related to tournaments. The book also examines specific drawings that celebrate the memories of Maximilian I and Charles V, as well as the Augsburger artistic and intellectual society. Overall, the book offers a unique perspective on the cultural significance of arms and armours beyond their military purposes. [Extracted from the article]