The plate
defense for the body . Introduced during the third quarter of the 14th century, it became the "cadillac" defense of the 15th century. Consisting of a
breast and
backplate , hoops of
steel to defend the hips known as
faulds , and
tassets to defend the hips. During the 14th century, the breastplate was often made from a single piece of steel and the backplate from a
brigandine , but during the 15th the breastplate was generally made in two or more pieces (especially in the German
"gothic" examples) and the back in many pieces. The piecing yielded a good deal of increased mobility and made the
harnesses much easier to produce. Italian cuirasses were often more rounded in shape, keeping with the
Milanese school lines, formed of larger pieces of thicker steel. German models were sharper, formed of more numerous and thinner plates, often featuring
fluting to increase the strength lost with the use of small, thin plates.
Plate defense for the body. Consisting of a breast and backplate, hoops of steel to defend the hips known as faulds, and tassets to defend the hips.
