Armour (Class II) — 15th century

About this collection

This collection covers 31 armour objects from the 15th century, delivered across 158 images in 25 ZIP assets. The 15th century represents the apex of the Gothic plate armour tradition — the elegant, vertically fluted forms of German Gothic armour, the more robust Italian styles, and the English armours influenced by both Continental traditions. The collection spans the full century from early transitional pieces through to the maximilian forms emerging at the century's end.

Why it matters

15th-century armour represents the fullest expression of medieval military technology — the complete plate harness that could deflect swords, arrows, and even early firearms while allowing mounted warriors considerable mobility. Objects from this period are rare survivals, and the Royal Armouries holds some of the finest examples in any national collection.

Use cases & time to value

• Historical production design: Accurate armour reference for period-specific film, game, and theatrical productions
• Arms and armour scholarship: Comparative morphological and technical study of plate armour development
• AI training for historical objects: Labelled armour dataset for object-recognition and period-classification models
• Museum interpretation and education: High-quality imagery for galleries, textbooks, and public programmes
• Auction and provenance research: Museum-quality documentation supporting valuation and attribution

Data schema

Collection stats

25 assets · 31 objects · 158 images · 15th century