PLATE ARMOR. In general it may be said that at first all plate armor used was for reinforcing mail or other armor. The full panoply (cap-a-pied) was in use by the middle of the 15th century. The early period produced the finest pieces; the 16th century showed com mencement of decline as to protective purposes. Then fire-arms caused the disuse of one piece after the other as affording too little protection. By the 18th century armor had become a cere monial gear and was valued according to its metalworkers' and goldsmiths' decorative fea tures. For historic purposes perhaps Ash down's period division is as well suited as any, and is used in this description.
Studded and Splinted Period (1335-60).— This is a transition era in which ((reinforced* chain-mail (see CHAIN-ARMOR) came into vogue. The bascinet (headpiece) was of plate with visor attached (see HELMETS), and in some cases with a neck-plate riveted to the piece. Demi-brassarts were used to protect the upper arm. A plate vambrace or demi-vam brace was sometimes worn over the hauberk (see HAUBERK) to add to the protection of the arm. Grevieres or jambarts for the legs occur, but they were more often of splints than plate. Sollerets (see FOOT ARMOR) were in use but rarely and covered only part of the upper half of the foot. The shield was, when carried, of ((heater."' shape. (See SHIELDS). Roundels sometimes protect the armpits. Sev eral effigies of the period show laminated epaulieres (shoulder pieces) and reinforced coudieres (elbow protectors), also demi-gre vieres of plate.
The Causal' and Jupon Period (1360-1410). — The sleeveless cloth 'upon (surcoat) was worn over a swelling breastplate, under which was the hauberk. The bascinet was tall and conical with visor (snout-faced visors belong to this period) and attached to the camail; the Italian barbute was used now. (See Iimotors). Other plate defenses are the laminated shoul der-pieces (epaulieres) ; brassarts for the upper arm and coudieres protecting the bend of the arm. Vambraces of cylindrical form protect from forearm to wrist, which latter is covered by the gauntlet cuff. Steel cuissarts, laminated skirts, surrounded the thighs. Plate genouil Hires guard the knees, first in a single plate, then reinforced above and below by steel lames. Grevieres of steel surround shins and calves. Small pieces of mail termed goussets or gussets were at the back of the joints of the knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle. An elaborately or namented hip-belt of large proportions, to which was attached the sword scabbard, was a characteristic of this period. The shield is rarely shown in contemporary illustrations. The great heaume (see liziAtErs) was used for tilting and the bascinet for warfare.
Surcoatless Period (1410-30).— In this period arrives the full panoply of plate free from textile; even the camail disappeared. It was replaced by a plate gorget upon which the bascinet rested. The breastplate is now worn outside and is and has a back-plate (dossiere). Overlapping steel lames were at tached below the breastplate and were termed taces. The hip-belt was worn around these. The shoulders had laminated epaulieres as be fore but pallettes of different forms were at tached to them. Brassarts, protecting the arms, were of riveted lames, but front and back plates were still in use. Coudieres have often fan
shaped ('shells') outer plates at the elbow joints. Vambraces remain unchanged. Gaunt lets have larger cuffs. (See GAUNTLETS). Also the cuissarts, genouillieres, grevieres and sol leres stay mostly as before. The sword at right and dagger at hip remain. Shields are small and of various shapes. (See Simms). The salade headpiece (see HELMETS) starts in use in this period.
Tabard Period These were years of war and armor improved in defensive power. The pieces became not only more com pletely protective but the metal was better tem pered till offensive arms, even guns, found trouble in penetrating it. It was a period of evolving frequent changes; the tabard alone was constant, whence the use of the term for the time. The tabard was a sleeved surcoat usually decorated with the wearer's armorial bearings. Till 1450 the bassinet continued in a very short time to give place to the armet. The body was protected with the 'globose' breastplate till about 1450 when it was reinforced with the Memi-placcate) (or pansike), a plate rising from the waist and curving upward to a point in the centre of the chest. Armhole gussets were now rigid or turned back. Backplates (dossiires) about 1450 were formed of several pieces. Epaulieres and brassarts for the right arm were laminated for rapid sword action after shivering the lance. The bridle (left) arm wore extra thick plates and reinforcements of many kinds. About 1430 the 'pauldron' (shoulder piece) was introduced into England becoming larger and larger from a developed palette till it enclosed the entire shoulder and then grew up along the neck, evolving (latter part 15th century) the °passe-garde? 'garde col' or 'pike guard,' to protect the neck. The coudieres by the middle of the century (as the shield had been discarded) became immense and uncouth. About this time appeared the 'garde de-bras) to protect the inside bend of the arm. The taces of this period decreased in number, exposing part of the thigh; the °tales) were now strapped below the taces to protect the front of the thigh, and they grew both longer and wider. Leg defenses remained as before till about 1440, when the genouillieres became pointed below instead of being cut off square, and laminations appeared in the lower part and reinforcing plates to protect the thigh are added above. Pointed sollerets remained in use till about 1490, when 'sabbatons' with square toes displaced them entirely. Tilting armor was composed of a harness !built so heavy the knight could not mount his horse without as sistance, but this was not used in warfare. The heaume had projections from the neck over the chest which allowed screwing it 4o the breastplate. Garde-de-bras, coudiere and bras sart were in use. An Epaule de mouton (shoul der of mutton shape) is often a reinforce ment piece for the right elbow. By the second half of the 15th century armor began to at tain a form of great beauty, the style called 'Gothic' being considered the most perfect in graceful outline. In this period fluted decoration is usual on fine harness. Both salade and arrnet-i-rondelle belong to this period.