Armour

Object Type
This armour for a pikeman, which protected only the body, was known as a corslet. It consists of a breastplate and tassets (defences for the thigh) and was worn with a helmet, known as a pikeman's pot, with a broad rim.

Ownership & Use
By the early 17th century armour covering the entire body was no longer worn, except by specialist troops. This was principally due to the increased efficiency of firearms. Bullet-proof armour had to be very thick and was as a consequence very heavy. Therefore, only the vital parts of the body such as the head and the trunk were protected. This comparatively simple defensive armour allowed the pikeman to march and carry the very long pike that was still used against cavalry during the English Civil War.

Materials & Making
Certain stylistic features - such as the embossed false plates, the purely decorative rivets on the tassets and the shapeless form of the breastplate, which does not follow the contours of the body as well-made armour always did - indicate that this armour was made at a period when it was about to be abandoned completely. Another indication that it is late is the construction of the helmet. It was not raised from a single plate, like the best quality work, but was made in two separate halves then welded together.

This armour was made in London by one of the many armourers working in the city in the 1620s. It is stamped with his mark - an H.