Armour (Class II) — 16th century — 1580s
About this product
About this collection
This collection covers 19 armour objects from the 1580s, delivered across 40 images in 19 ZIP assets. The 1580s culminated in the Spanish Armada of 1588 — a conflict that tested English military preparedness and drove procurement of both imported and domestically produced armour. The collection spans the functional military harnesses of the period alongside the ceremonial pieces that continued to be produced for court display.
Why it matters
Armour from the 1580s reflects the practical military demands of Elizabethan England's wars in the Netherlands, Ireland, and against Spain — alongside the continuing tradition of elaborate parade armours for court ceremonial. The Royal Armouries' holdings from this decade include objects connected to some of the most famous figures and events of the Elizabethan age.
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
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| object_number | string | Royal Armouries catalogue number (II. prefix + sequence) |
| object_name | string | Standardised object type name as catalogued |
| class | string | II (Armour — Body Armour) |
| period | string | 16th century — 1580s |
| image_filename | string | Original filename as catalogued by the museum |
| image_format | string | tif (archival high-res), jpg (catalogue), or bmp (legacy) |
| width_px | integer | Image width in pixels |
| height_px | integer | Image height in pixels |
| file_size_bytes | integer | Uncompressed file size in bytes |
Collection stats
19 assets · 19 objects · 40 images · 16th century — 1580s
Assets (0)
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