Medieval Armour Suit — Handmade Decorative Metal Sculpture

A medieval knight's harness in handcrafted metal — a decorative sculpture rather than a wearable reproduction.

Details

• Handcrafted metal construction
• Helm, breastplate, articulated limb plates and gauntlets
• Hand-applied finish
• Decorative display piece
• Suits a hallway, study, library, bar, restaurant or shop

How armour was made

Plate armour was raised from flat sheet by hammering it over stakes and into hollows — thousands of overlapping blows, working the metal thinner in some places and leaving it thick where blows would land. A good armourer varied the thickness across a single breastplate, heaviest at the centre and lighter at the edges.

The best of it came from Milan and from Augsburg and Nuremberg, and the top workshops were famous across Europe. A Missaglia or Helmschmid harness was a commission comparable to buying a house, and pieces were fitted to the individual client like tailoring.