Gothic plate armour

15th century European steel plate armour

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15th-century armour on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gothic plate armour (German: Gotischer Plattenpanzer) was the type of steel plate armour made in the Holy Roman Empire during the 15th century.

## History

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While the term "Gothic" in art history covers the 12th to 15th centuries, Gothic plate armour develops only during 1420–1440s, when the technological development of armour reached the stage where full plate armour (including movable joints) was made, and national styles of "white armour" began to emerge, specifically German ("Gothic") and Italian (Milanese). Centers of armour production in the period included Augsburg, Nuremberg and Landshut.

The Gothic style of plate armour peaked in a form known as Maximilian armour, produced during 1515–1525. High Gothic armour was worn during the later 15th century, a transitional type called Schott-Sonnenberg style was current during c. 1500 to 1515, and Maximilian armour proper during 1515 to 1525.[1] Towards the late 16th century, so-called half-armour (Halbharnisch) would become increasingly common, eventually diminished itself into the early modern cuirass of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Gothic armour was often combined with a Gothic sallet, which included long and sharp rear-plate that protected the back of the neck and head. Maximilian armour of the early 16th century is characterized by rounder and more curved forms, and their ridges were narrower, parallel to each other and covered the entire armour.

Methods of single combat in this type of armour are treated in the German fencing manuals of the period, under the term Harnischfechten ("armoured combat").

## Gallery

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* Breakdown of individual components of Gothic armour

* Gothic helmets, illustration by Viollet Le-Duc

* Close-up on Gothic armour, flutes and ridges are visible along the armour

* Maximilian Gothic armour

* Gothic plate armour, from a German book illustration published 1483

* Replica with pollaxe

## See also

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* Greenwich armour
* Almain rivet

## References

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1. ^ Oakeshott (1980), pp. 75–108, ch. 4. Armour: 1400–1525.

## Bibliography

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* Blackmore, Howard L., Arms and Armour, London 1965.
* Blair, Claude, European Armour circa 1066 to circa 1700, 3rd ed London 1979.
* Boeheim, Wendelin,  Meister der Waffenschmiedekunst vom XIV. bis ins XVIII. Jahrhundert. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Kunst und des Kunsthandwerks, Berlin 1897
* Closs, G. Adolf, "Der Harnisch der Übergangszeit von der Gotik zur Renaissance (1495-1520)", Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde 3 (1930), 145-151.
* Gamber, Ortwin, "Harnischstudien V. Stilgeschichte des Plattenharnisches von den Anfängen bis um 1440", Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien 50 (1953)
* Gamber, Ortwin, "Harnischstudien VI. Stilgeschichte des Plattenharnisches von 1440-1510", Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien (1965), 31-102.
* von Kern, Georg, Die Stilentwicklung des Riefelharnisches Diss. München 1982.
* Lauts, Jan, Alte deutsche Waffen, Burg bei Magdeburg 1938.
* Mann, James G., The Etched Decoration of Armour, London 1962.
* Martin, Paul, Waffen und Rüstungen von Karl dem Großen bis zu Ludwig XIV., Fribourg 1967.
* Müller, Heinrich, Historische Waffen. Kurze Entwicklungsgeschichte der Waffen vom Frühfeudalismus bis zum 17. Jahrhundert, Berlin 1957.
* Oakeshott, Ewart (1980). European Weapons and Armour from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution. Guildford and London: Lutterworth Press. pp. 75–108\. ISBN 9780718821265.
* Spitzelberger, Georg, Unvergängliche Harnischkunst. Beiträge zur historischen Waffenkunde, Landshut 1985.
* Thomas, Bruno, Deutsche Plattnerkunst, München 1944.
* Thomas, Bruno, Gesammelte Schriften zur historischen Waffenkunde, 2 vols, Graz 1977.
* Willers, Johannes, "Nürnberger Harnische" in: Nürnberg 1300-1550. Kunst der Gotik und Renaissance, München 1986.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gothic armour.

* Gothic armour for mounted knight and its horse, Royal Armouries
* Gothic armour for foot soldier, Royal Armouries
* Gothic armour for mounted knight and its horse, The Wallace Collection
* Photos of Gothic Armor, Flickr
* Secrets of the Wallace: Gothic Equestrian Armour, YouTube channel of The Wallace Collection

* v
* t
* e

Armour types

* Body armor
* Vehicle armour
* Barding

Historical armour types|

* Linothorax
* Gambeson
* Buff coat
* Lorica segmentata
* Manica
* Lorica hamata
* Lorica plumata
* Lorica squamata
* Lamellar armour
* Laminar armour
* Scale armour
* Chain mail
* Hauberk
* Transitional armour
* Mail and plate armour
* Coat of plates
* Brigandine
* Jack of plate
* Splint armour
* Mirror armour
* Klivanion
* Breastplate
* Cuirass
* Muscle cuirass
* Plate armour
* Munition armour
* Greenwich armour
* Almain rivet
* Kasten-brust armour
* White armour
* Gothic plate armour
* Maximilian armour
* Lame (armor)
* Karuta (Japanese armour)
* Kikko (Japanese armour)
* Kusari (Japanese mail armour)
* Ō-yoroi
* Dō-maru
* Haramaki
* Tatami
* Boiled leather (cuir bouilli)

Modern armour types|

| Bullet-resistant armour|

| Ballistic plate|

* Ceramic plate
* Doron plate
* Steel plate

|

Ballistic fabrics|

* Gold Flex
* Aramid
* Kevlar
* Kevlar KM2
* Twaron
* UHMWPE/HPPE
* Spectra Shield
* Ballistic nylon

Armor systems|

* Armour of the Kelly gang
* Brewster Body Shield
* Steel Bib

* PASGT
* Ranger Body Armor
* IBA/OTV
* Dragon Skin
* CIRAS
* FSBE AAV QR
* HRM
* IOTV
* MTV/IMTV
* PRU-70
* Osprey body armour
* SPCS
* SPC
* MSV

|

* Body armor performance standards
* BA 9000

* Flak jacket
* Riot gear
* Bomb suit
* Stab vest

Components|

* Medieval

Fictional armour types|

* Banded mail
* Ring armour
* Power armor

* v
* t
* e

Helmets

Individual
historical
helmets|

* Agighiol
* Agris
* Benty Grange
* Broe
* Canterbury
* Ciumeşti
* Coppergate
* Coțofenești
* Coventry Sallet
* Crosby Garrett
* Emesa
* Gevninge
* Gjermundbu
* Guilden Morden
* Guisborough
* Hallaton
* Hellvi
* Henry VIII's Horned
* Horncastle
* Iron Gates
* Lokrume
* Meyrick
* Nemiya
* Newstead
* Nijmegen
* Peretu
* Pioneer
* Ribchester
* Shorwell
* Staffordshire
* Sutton Hoo
* Tjele
* Veksø
* Venetian
* Waterloo
* Witcham Gravel
* Yarm

Combat|

| Ancient|

* Attic
* Boar's tusk
* Boeotian
* Chalcidian
* Coolus
* Corinthian
* Galea
* Illyrian
* Imperial
* Kegelhelm
* Konos
* Late Roman ridge
* Montefortino
* Negau
* Novo Mesto
* Phrygian
* Pilos

|

Medieval and
Early Modern|

* Armet
* Aventail
* Barbute
* Bascinet
* Burgonet
* Cervelliere
* Close
* Dragoon
* Enclosed
* Falling buffe
* Frog-mouth
* Germanic boar
* Great
* Hounskull
* Jingasa
* Kabuto
* Katapu
* Kettle
* Kulah khud
* Lamellenhelm
* Lobster-tailed pot
* Menpo
* Morion
* Nasal
* Paseki
* Pickelhaube
* Sallet
* Secrete
* Spangenhelm
* Takula tofao
* Turban
* Viking

Late Modern|

* Dragoon
* Pickelhaube
* Pith helmet
* Tarleton helmet

1914–1945|

* Adrian
* Brodie
* M36 (Bulgaria)
* M32 (Czechoslovakia)
* M1923 (Denmark)
* Stahlhelm (Germany)
* M1934/39 (Greece)
* Helmet Steel Airborne Troop
* M33 (Italy)
* M42 Duperite
* M1
* M1C
* Mark II and Mark 4 "talker"
* Mk III
* Netherlands M34
* Hełm wz. 31
* M1940 (Portugal)
* RAC
* SSh-36
* SSh-39 and SSh-40
* M1921 (Spain)
* M1926 (Spain)
* M1934 (Spain)
* M1942 Modelo Z
* SSK 90
* M1926 (Sweden)
* M1937 (Sweden)
* L'Eplattenier
* M1918 (Switzerland)
* Type 92 Tetsubo

1945–1980|

* Bangtan Helmet
* CABAL II
* Czechoslovak Vz. 53 Helmet
* GK80
* Hungarian M70
* Romanian M73 helmet
* Mº 44 E.T.A.
* M59/85
* Hełm wz. 50
* Hełm wz. 63
* Hełm wz. 67
* M63
* M76 Para
* Mk IV
* Mk 6
* Modèle 1951
* Modèle 1978
* MPC-1
* OR-201
* Paratrooper
* SSh-60
* SSh-68
* Swiss M71
* Type 66

1980–2000|

* CG634
* M92
* GOLFO
* M90 (Iraq)
* JK 96
* M59/85
* M87
* PASGT
* Hełm wz. 93
* Hełm wz. 2000
* Sfera
* SPECTRA
* 6B7

2001–present|

* A2 Helmet
* Advanced Combat Helmet
* BK-3 helmet
* QGF-03
* ECH (Australia)
* ECH (US)
* FAST
* 6B47
* Hełm wz. 2005
* Hełm HBT-02
* Hełm HP-05
* IHPS
* KH-B2000
* Lightweight Helmet
* MICH
* Mk 7

Athletic|

* Batting
* Coolflo
* Boxing / Martial Arts
* Bicycle
* Cricket
* Equestrian
* Gridiron football
* Eyeshield
* Revolution
* Hockey
* Lacrosse
* Motorcycle
* Racing
* Scrum cap
* Ski

Work|

* Custodian
* Diving
* Firefighter's
* Hard hat
* Riot protection
* Welding

Other|

* Flight
* Helmet cover
* Mitznefet
* Heraldic use
* Horned
* Mahiole
* Tarnhelm
* Pith
* American fiber
* Winged
* Zuckerman

* Portal
* Category:Armour

* v
* t
* e

Components of medieval European armour

Head|

* Armet
* Barbute
* Bascinet
* Burgonet
* Cervelliere
* Enclosed helmet
* Close helmet
* Great helm
* Frog mouth
* Hounskull
* Lobster tail pot
* Mail coif
* Morion
* Nasal helmet
* Sallet
* Spangenhelm
* Kettle hat

Face|

* Visor
* Falling buffe

Neck|

* Aventail
* Bevor
* Gorget
* Pizaine

Torso|

* Breastplate
* Brigandine
* Cuirass
* Culet
* Pauncer
* Plackart
* Fauld
* Hauberk
* Codpiece
* Lance rest
* Coat of plates
* Jack of plate

Arms|

* Ailette
* Besagew
* Couter
* Gauntlet
* Pauldron
* Rerebrace
* Spaulder
* Vambrace

Legs|

* Bases
* Chausses
* Cuisses
* Greave
* Poleyn
* Sabaton
* Schynbald
* Tasset

Pieces|

* Gousset
* Lame
* Rondel
* Arming points

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