Transitional armour
Encyclopedia
Transitional armour describes the armour used in Europe around the 14th century, as body armour moved from simple maille
hauberk
s to full plate
.
The poleyn
was added to the hauberk
to better protect the elbows, and splinted armour and the coat of plates
provided increased protection for other areas.
Armourers in general began experimenting with various forms of rigid defense. They worked in a variety of materials, including wrought iron, latten, leather, cloth and even bone to substitute rigid materials for maille as the knight's harness progressed. Toward the end of the century and into the following one, updates to armour took place at an accelerated rate.
The use of multiple materials is the key stylistic element of the period. For instance, a set of transitional style arm defenses could employ steel pauldrons, leather rerebraces, steel elbow cop
s and leather vambraces. These items would be strapped with leather and might have brass or bronze fittings and buckles. This use of varied materials gave the armour different coloring, textures and more elegant appearance.
Maillé
Maillé may refer to the following places in France:* Maillé, Indre-et-Loire, a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, site of a 1944 war crime* Maillé, Vendée, a commune in the Vendée department* Maillé, Vienne, a commune in the Vienne department...
hauberk
Hauberk
A hauberk is a shirt of chainmail. The term is usually used to describe a shirt reaching at least to mid-thigh and including sleeves. Haubergeon generally refers to a shorter variant with partial sleeves, but the terms are often used interchangeably.- History :The word hauberk is derived from the...
s to full plate
Plate armour
Plate armour is a historical type of personal armour made from iron or steel plates.While there are early predecessors such the Roman-era lorica segmentata, full plate armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, especially in the context of the Hundred Years' War, from the coat of...
.
The poleyn
Poleyn
The poleyn was a component of Medieval and Renaissance armor that protected the knee. During the transition from mail armor to plate armor, this was among the earliest plate components to develop. They first appeared in the mid-thirteenth century and remained in use until the early seventeenth...
was added to the hauberk
Hauberk
A hauberk is a shirt of chainmail. The term is usually used to describe a shirt reaching at least to mid-thigh and including sleeves. Haubergeon generally refers to a shorter variant with partial sleeves, but the terms are often used interchangeably.- History :The word hauberk is derived from the...
to better protect the elbows, and splinted armour and the coat of plates
Coat of plates
A coat of plates is a form of torso armour consisting of metal plates sewn or riveted inside a cloth or leather garment. The coat of plates makes a fairly brief appearance in the history of European armour during the era of transitional armour, during a portion of the 14th century...
provided increased protection for other areas.
Armourers in general began experimenting with various forms of rigid defense. They worked in a variety of materials, including wrought iron, latten, leather, cloth and even bone to substitute rigid materials for maille as the knight's harness progressed. Toward the end of the century and into the following one, updates to armour took place at an accelerated rate.
The use of multiple materials is the key stylistic element of the period. For instance, a set of transitional style arm defenses could employ steel pauldrons, leather rerebraces, steel elbow cop
Elbow cop
Modern usage, normally used by the Society for Creative Anachronism for the term couter, it is the portion of armour which covers the elbow joints, usually integral to a complete arm harness. As part of a complete armour that covers the whole arm, it is known as a cannon...
s and leather vambraces. These items would be strapped with leather and might have brass or bronze fittings and buckles. This use of varied materials gave the armour different coloring, textures and more elegant appearance.