Changes in the shapes of breastplates in the 16th century Main Page Previous Page Next Page

Portrait of a youth c. 1495/1500 National Gallery of Art accession number 1939.1.294	Armor of Henry VIII c. 1515. Royal Armouries object number II.5	Breastplate circa 1500 inv. num. A-321

We will start out with an example from the very end of the 15th c. which will set the stage for the discussion. On the left we see a youth in a fashionable outfit. The outer garment has a high neckline that fits closely around the neck. The doublet fits closely to the body and has generally rounded form. The accompanying breastplate adds a nice central crease and rolls at the neck and arms, but the form closely mimics that of the clothing.

For comparison, I have included an illustration of a very similar breastplate that forms part of one of Henry VIII's armors from earlier in his life before he gained weight.

While we have this breastplate in front of us, we can illustrate some other aspects of armor design.

• The central crease enhances the angle presented to an opponent. This will help deflect weapons from the wearer's body. This is not a universal feature, a very rounded shape works almost as well, but it is common.
• The breastplate is thicker at the center and thinner at the sides and shoulders. This places the strength where it is needed while minimizing the overall weight of the piece.
• The rolls at the neck and arms look glorious and allow the armorer to show off his skills, but they also stiffen the piece and - probably more importantly - serve to deflect weapons from these vulnerable parts of the body.