Arming the man

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Arming the man

 

Vambraces, buffes, sabatons – what are they and what do they protect?
Find out with this armour glossary.

Arming the knight

In pictures: Arming the man

The modern technical name for a 'suit of armour' is just armour. In the Tudor and Stuart periods, it was called a harness. The term garniture was used to describe lots of pieces of armour which could be put together in different ways to create a harness. In the early Tudor period, real men wore skirts!

Upper body

Early harquebusiers armour of Charles Stuart 1638
Armour from the waist to the neck. 

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Royal headwearProtection for the head

Various parts that protected Kings' heads.

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In video: Arming the knight

Arming the knight
See how a royal king gets dressed for the battlefield

Watch our video »


Fit for a King

 Fit for a KingOpens 1 April 2010
See five hundred years of spectacular royal armour, offering a fascinating insight into the personalities, power and physical size of England’s kings. Entrance to this spectacular new exhibition is included in your standard admission ticket to the Tower. Click here to find out more >


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