The medieval knight was defined by his armour, which set him apart from other fighting men. However, the study of knightly armour poses a number of daunting challenges. It was practical, functional equipment, but also ‘body art’ of great expressive power. Armour must be contemplated on technical and aesthetic levels simultaneously, and indeed, these two aspects are fundamentally intertwined. Another very significant obstacle is the lack of surviving armour; what does exist is usually fragmentary or incomplete. We must therefore take a rigorously interdisciplinary approach, considering the subject from many different perspectives at once. We must look at the extant material evidence at the same time as we delve into sources as diverse as illuminated manuscripts, funerary effigies, martial arts treatises, and even everyday objects like candlesticks, mirror-cases and water jugs. The expressive visual power of armour in life made it an essential image in art of all kinds, leaving us a vast and very complex trail of evidence to follow, and many meanings to ponder.
About the speaker: Dr Tobias Capwell is Arms and Armour Curator at the Wallace Collection
