European Knight Armor

Product Description

In Greece, too, the tradition of decorated armor reaches back into the Bronze Age. Although the plain examples of Classical Greek armor often possess a superb sculptural beauty, many specimens, especially helmets, were frequently also decorated with engraving and embossing. The Greeks usually protected only their heads, torsos, and lower legs with armor of hammered bronze sheet. While the lower leg defenses are mostly undecorated and simply shaped to closely fit the limbs, the breastplate and backplate (cuirass) were often embossed to mimic the anatomy of chest and back. Many helmets (1989.281.49-. 50) are engraved with simple geometric patterns along the edges, but some are further embossed with geometric or figurative decoration. Evidence provided by painted vases reveals that many warriors had their helmets adorned with large crests, usually a comb of horse hair, while their large round shields were elaborately painted with geometric patterns, animals, or mythological scenes.