In Pics: Ten Beautiful Suits of Armor

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The image of a medieval knight was synonymous with his armor. The Age of Chivalry depicts such knights in full plate mail, tilting at their opponents atop massive chargers with not the tiniest fraction of the man beneath visible: more a symbol than a human.

And indeed such armor was thew last word in personal defense for many centuries. Throughout the world armor was developed to protect, and to enhance the stature of the man wearing it. Such suits became extremely sophisticated, allowing a full range of free movement and, combined with skill in combat, could render a knight nigh-invincible.

Many such amazing works of craftsmanship have been lost down the centuries. But a lucky few have been preserved, and here are ten of the finest suits of armor which survive to this day.

1. King Henry VIII’s Royal Armor

*King Henry VIII* of England was a big guy, almost 2 meters (6’ 8”) tall and with the bulk to match. A lifelong fan of jousting for sport, the king’s suit of armor was the finest in England, and it was said the king in his prime could leap fully armored onto the back of his horse (Metropolitan Museum of Art / *Public Domain*)

2. Prince-Elector Christian I of Saxony’s Christmas Present

Designed for combat on foot, this armor made for Prince-Elector Christian I of Saxony in the late 16th century covered only the upper portion, as covering the legs in the same fashion could lead to fatal reductions in agility and mobility. The armor was one of a set of twelve suits given to the Prince as a *Christmas* *present from his wife. Sadly he died before he could receive them (Anton Peffenhauser /* *Public Domain*)

3. Syrian Horse Armor

*On the other hand, sometimes armoring the man was simply not enough, as can be seen with this* *Syrian* *horse armor. Dating from as early as 1450 AD, this armor was stifling in the desert heat of Turkey and Iran, but a charge from fully armored cavalry was almost unstoppable (AlkaliSoaps /* *CC BY 2.0*)

4. Chinese Stone Armor

*Armor made of stone would be impossibly encumbering and wearers would struggle to even stand, but happily these suits were built for the* *Terracotta Soldiers* of the Qin dynasty in the 9th century BC, making this by far the oldest suit of armor on the list. Excavations have identified six different ranks of soldiery amongst the statues, all with specific armor designs. Even the real armor represented by this stone set would sometimes prove too heavy however, and there are reports of soldiers throwing it off in a berserk rage, the better to fight (Gary Lee Todd / *Public Domain*)

5. Japanese Samurai Armor

*If you want the last word in armor ornamentation and decoration, you have to go to Japan. The ceremonial suits of* *samurai* *armor, such as this example from the 17th century owned by the powerful* *Tokugawa* *family, were highly stylized and emphasized appearance over function, although they could still serve in an emergency (Minneapolis Institute of Art /* *Public Domain*)

6. Bran Castle Armor

*On display in Bran castle, often suggested as the original for* *Dracula’s castle* in Romanian Transylvania, this suit demonstrates the latest thinking in 16th century defensive adaptations. The spaulders, pauldrons and gardbraces protect the vulnerable areas around the shoulder and armpit, and the edges of the helmet flow away from the neck, preventing attacking weaponry from finding purchase (Gary Todd / *Public Domain*)

7. Milanese Inlaid Armor

*This armor, dating from Milan in* *Italy* around the start of the 17th century, is intricately decorated with inlays of copper, silver and gold. Weighing 42.5 pounds (20 kg) it would have been somewhat encumbering for its user, but the many overlapping plates ensured full freedom of movement (Metropolitan Museum of Art / *Public Domain*)

8. Mexican Scale Armor

Made in the 18th century in Mexico, in many ways this armor was a backwards step in terms of protection. Made of iron of cloth, it was still very heavy and offered limited movement and visibility, although it would have been more comfortable to wear than full plate armor (Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain)

9. Tibetan Mirror Armor

*Dating from the 16th or 17th centuries,* *Tibetan* *armor owes much to Chinese technology and armor design. Some* *Chinese* records survive which suggest Tibetan nobles were wearing such full sets of armor as much as a thousand years earlier, though none survive. Tibetans would go on to develop their “four mirrors” suit which protected its wearer with four circular plates worn around the torso (LordAmeth / *CC BY-SA 2.0*)

10. English Pikeman’s Armor

*As the defense against cavalry charges developed with the introduction of squares of infantry armed with pikes which the* *horses* would not charge, the infantrymen gained specialized armor to defend against attack. The skirt deflected lance blows upwards into the armor proper, and it was very difficult for mounted attackers to aim low enough to injure the wearer (Metropolitan Museum of Art / *Public Domain*)

Top Image: Full plate armor for man and horse: this set belonged to Sigismund II and is in Stockholm, Sweden. Source: LSH 72697 / Public Domain.

By Joseph Green

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Joseph Green

Joseph Green is editor for Historic Mysteries, which combines his background in English Literature with a lifelong fascination for the strange and the unexplained. Read More