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Armour & It's History

Armour has striven to do more than just safeguard its wearer. It is often intended to impress or terrify as well as advertise its wearer's wealth or status.

The most ancient form of armour was probably made of animal hides, followed by leather or cotton. As metal technology progressed, bronze and then metal armour appeared.

Mail armour was increasingly popular till the late 14th century. The danger from improved weapons including long bow, crossbow and firearms made mail armour obsolete. It was soon replaced by plate armour, which was surprisingly flexible and provided its wearer with a good deal of mobility. In the 15th century, specialist armour began to be developed for tournaments. Amour became increasingly ornate. Quality of the work was so great that some armours became too precious to be used in combat and were used for display as parade armour. Plate armour reached its apogee in the late 15th and early 16th century,
Gothic Plate Mail

Oriental armour, such as those worn by the Turks and Mongols wore both the scaled and lamellar armour. The better known Japanese Samurai armour evolved from the Asiatic tradition of lamellar (scaled) armour. It consisted of lacquered plates of metal or leather which gave strength equal to steel and also provided greater flexibility and lightness. Samurai armour increased in complexity over time, achieving its pinnacle in the Tosei Gusoku ( modern armour ) style from 16th century onwards.

With a rich history behind, armour are well sought after by the rich and famous. There is now modern replicas armour. Most of them are replicated from museum pieces and are mainly handcrafted by skilled workmen, where the skills were passed down through generations. Using new modern material, such armour is now much easier to maintain. A fine coat of wax/ oil will help to preserve the metal of the armour. In modern day, armour is used as decorative display. It greatly enhanced the grandness of a premise and is definitely an impressive conversational item.

This article was kindly supplied by Caesars Singapore. You can browse through the various armour pieces at Caesars located at #03-035 Suntec City Mall (Entertainment Mall).