THE HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COSTUME

ALBERT RACINET

THE CLASSIC WORK OF THE 19TH CENTURY

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EUROPE FROM BYZANTIUM TO THE 19TH CENTURY

EUROPE

THE 14TH AND 15TH CENTURIES - ARMOUR

Upper Register

AS MILITARY TECHNOLOGY ADVANCED and new tactics evolved, chain mail started to give way to plate armour. However, this increase in weight gave rise to a new trend. Shock troops, such as the heavy cavalry, continued to wear heavy armour, but now some horsemen and the majority of foot-soldiers began to wear less armour, in order to increase their mobility.

1.1, 2, 4, 7 & 8 Helmets. 4 & 7 are English and date back to the end of the 14th century.

1.12 A soldier from the second half of the 14th century. The use of leather combined with iron marks a transitional period, which follows the chain mail hauberk and precedes perfect armour plating.

1.13 Charles d'Orléans, who lived in the 15th century during the reign of Charles VII. The metal suit of armour completely covers the body, and greaves even cover the heels of the iron shoes.

1.14 A knight wearing a type of armour known as xaintrailles at the beginning of the 15th century. His iron helmet has a jutting edge that goes right the way round. This style of military headdress can be seen on Greek and Roman monuments. In the 12th century it was made of leather; by the 13th century it was made of iron and worn over a hood of chain mail.

1.15 A soldier from the period of Charles V.

1.16 The armour of the Dauphin, the son of King John who became Charles V. The variety of armour in this period was a result of the rivalry between two methods of protection: plate armour and chain mail.
Armour plate had not yet been generally adopted. Chain mail persisted, though reduced to use in a small haubergeon as a compromise that included a cuirass covered by a padded surcoat.

Back to Europe: The 14th And 15th Centuries - Armour by Racinet