This armor, part of an extensive set united by decoration that contained elements for either warfare or tournament, is distinctive for the motif of three-petaled flowers running alongside its banded ornament. Etched by Jörg Sorg the Younger, these flowers could be a reference to tulips first brought back to Europe from the Ottoman Empire in 1555. Alternatively, they might represent a species native to Europe: lilies of the valley. Their bowed heads might suggest humility, or the flowers could be a visual reminder of the bible verse "I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys" (Song of Solomon 2:1). Armor decoration often included talismanic references or verses intended to protect the wearer from harm.

An armor with a similar pattern also decorated by Jörg Sorg the Younger was made in 1551 for a Spanish nobleman, and it is likely the museum’s armor was commissioned for another member of the Habsburg court in Spain.