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Burgundian Armor Export Trade
From the late fourteenth to fifteenth century, the Milan–Bruges–Dijon armor workshop network under the Duchy of Burgundy was renowned across European…
Timeline
- 1390–1404Bruges · FlandersEarly in Philip the Bold's rule, Burgundy combined Milanese armorers with Flemish metalworking techniques, creating a made-to-order plate armor export system for European kings; orders rose markedly in the 1390s.
- 1396–1450Milan · ItalyThe dukes of Burgundy gifted armor to allies and mercenary captains; Milanese workshops produced Gothic plate to order and shipped it overland and by sea to English and French courts; around 1396, the Crusade of Nicopolis further stimulated demand for high-quality armor.
- 1477–1500Nancy · LorraineAfter Charles the Bold was killed in 1477, Burgundian territories were divided between France and Austria, the centralized armor export trade network collapsed, and craftsmen scattered to German and Italian states; Burgundian-style plate still influenced later European armor design.
Sources
- The Art of Medieval Armour: Sculpting from Metal — David Edge and John Miles Paddock (1988)
- Philip the Bold: The Formation of the Burgundian State — Richard Vaughan (2002)