Medieval armour, even armour meant for war, was often decorated when the knight was wealthy enough to pay the enormous costs associated with such embellishment. During the 14th century, plate armour was rarely decorated.
Leather armour was often tooled; some
splinted armour might have been splinted with
latten or brass.Part of the reason for this decoration was to display status and wealth, but another part was to offer
insurance ; a rich armour could be ransomed or led an opponent to believe that the knight had money to offer in exchange for his freedom should he be captured. See also
Transitional Period for notes on 14th century stylistic elements.Major Developments during the 14th century -
Engraving - Adding brass, bronze or
latten trim to the edges of pieces. Sometimes this trim was further embellished by the engraving of mottoes or simple patterns or, seldom, embossed- Use of colored
leather for strapping- Use of heraldic color schemes coordinated with strapping to create a rich variety of colors and textures in a single combatants.
