plate armour

Full plate armour for man and horse commissioned by Sigismund II Augustus of Poland, held at the Livrustkammaren in Stockholm, Sweden (1550s). Armour for Gustav I of Sweden by Kunz Lochner, c. 1540 (Livrustkammaren).Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, especially in the context of the Hundred Years' War, from the coat of plates (popular in late 13th and early 14th century) worn over mail suits during the 14th century, a century famous for the transitional armour, in that plate gradually replaced mail.

In Europe, full plate armour reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries. The full suit of armour, also referred to as a panoply, is thus a feature of the very end of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Its popular association with the "medieval knight” is due to the specialised jousting armour which developed in the 16th century.