Spanish Breastplate plain, 16.-17. century

In medieval weaponry, the breastplate is the front portion of plate armour covering the torso. It has been a military mainstay since ancient times and was usually made of leather, bronze or iron in antiquity. By around 1000 AD, solid plates had fallen out of use in Europe and knights of the period were wearing mail in the form of a hauberk over a padded tunic. True breastplates reappear in Europe in 1340 first composed of wrought iron and later of steel. More information...