By the end of the 15th Century, armourers had developed a harness of full plate.
The principal armour making centres in Europe were Northern Italy and Germany,
and regional styles began to develop.
This harness is a replica of one made for Archduke Sigismund von Tyrol, by the master armourer
Lorenz Helmschmied of Augsburg in around 1480.
It represents the very pinnacle of the armourer's craft.
The armour is beautifully decorated with pierced gilt, copper edging
and deep fluting on the plates.
The fluted decoration also helps to add strength to the armour.
The level of craftsmanship is extremely high and only the richest of men could afford such an armour.
It is an example of the gothic style that developed in Germany at this time.
The squire begins by fitting the armoured shoes, or sabatons, to his lord's feet.
This pair can be fitted with a set of fashionably long, detachable extensions.
They are made out of numerous small plates which are riveted together
so that they allow the wearer's foot to bend normally, and are worn over his arming shoes.
Next the greaves are places around the lower leg.
They completely enclose the shin and calf, and are sculpted by the armourer so that they
exactly follow the contours of the wearer's leg.
They are fastened by locating metal studs into holes.
The cuisse and poleyn are next attached to the upper leg.
The cuisse are very long, covering the leg right up to the hip and are cleverly articulated
on sliding rivets in slots to allow for full movement and flexion.
The cuisse is pointed to the waist of the arming doublet
and straps and buckles around the knee and thigh secure the leg harness in place.
The gap left around the waist and buttocks could be filled by wearing mail trunks.
Similarly, the armpits and inside of the elbow could also be protected by patches of mail
sewn on to the arming doublet, but on this occasion they have been left off.
The next pieces to be put on are the breast and back plates, which combine to form the cuirass.
They buckle together around the shoulders and fasten at the waist with studs located into holes.
The waist of the breast and back plates is high, just under the ribs of the wearer,
and a close fit helps to take some of the weight off of the wearer's shoulders.
The hips and buttocks and protected by the fold and coulais, made up of horizontal laminated plates called lames,
which allow for the necessary articulation of the waist to allow the wearer to move easily and fully.
Once the cuirass is secured in place the arm defences are put on.
These are comprised of three separate sections - the fully-enclosing lower canon,
the upper canon, and the large pointed couter.
They can be attached separately to the arming doublet or, as here, pointed together and put on as a single unit.
The hinged lower canon is secured by another stud and hole fastening.
This method of attachment reduces the number of leather straps which could be cut by an opponent
causing parts of the armour to shift or fall away.
After putting the arming cap on his lord's head, the squire next attaches the chin defence, or bevor.
It locks onto the breastplate with a spring-catch and is strapped round the back of the neck to secure it.
The bevor protects the chin and this example has an upper section that covers the lower face.
It can be lowered to allow the wearer to breathe and speak more easily and is held in place when raised by a sprung-stud.
The shoulders are protected by articulated pauldrons.They are pointed onto the arming doublet
and secured underneath the arms by buckled leather straps.
The sections of the pauldrons are held together by sliding rivets and straps to ensure they flex properly
and allow the wearer full use of his arms.
The final pieces of armour to be put on are the helmet and gauntlets.
The helmet is a sallet, a very common type in the late 15th Century.
It has a tail to protect the back of the neck and a visor to protect the face.
The visor is held shut with another sprung-stud to prevent it opening or shifting by accident
and thus blinding the wearer.
The gauntlets have a long cuff, articulated wrist, and separate fingers.
Finally, the squire hands his lord a weapon, in this case a hand-and-a-half sword.
It has a diamond section blade tapering to an acute point and is optimised for thrusting.
In combat it would be aimed at weak points in an opponent's armour such as the joints and gaps between the plates.
From simple coats of mail to elaborate harnesses of plate.
The wealthy fighting men of the middle ages sought to protect themselves with the best equipment available.
Armourers always rose to the challenge of creating defences against different forms of attack -
slashing, piercing, and crushing - and made protection that was as practical and as comfortable as possible.
But, the development of effective gunpowder, more reliable firearms, and a desire for greater tactical flexibility
on the battlefield, throughout the 16th and 17th Centuries, brought this long period of evolution to an end,
and the demise of metal armour.