Maximillian Armour for man & horse

Maximilian armour is a modern term used to describe this form of early 16th century German plate armour apparently first made for the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, often referred to as the last true knight. The armour has a close helmet with a ‘bellows’ style of visor. The fan-shaped fluting often covering most of the armour was designed to imitate the pleated clothing that was considered fashionable in Europe during the period but also had the effect of making the armour incredibly strong and light.   As these knights were often mounted, wisdom dictated that this type of armour should also extend to cover the vulnerable areas of the horse. The horse pictured has head armour called a ‘chanfron’, a neck piece called a 'crinet', and a ‘peytral’ protecting its chest. The collective term for a full set of horse armour was ‘a bard’, or ‘barding’.