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Burgundian Plate Armor Forging

Type Object Region Burgundy Time c. 1400–1500

In the 15th century, the Netherlands and Burgundy proper under the Duchy of Burgundy became Europe's finest full plate armor forging centers, blendin…

Timeline

  1. c. 1400–1450Bruges · FlandersDukes such as John the Good of Burgundy sponsored workshops in Flemish cities, where armor evolved from mail covered by steel plates into riveted, articulated Gothic full harnesses; ribbed fluting and pointed helmets became hallmarks of Burgundian court taste.
  2. c. 1467–1477Dijon · BurgundyCharles the Bold assembled a large standing army, drawing Netherlandish and Italian craftsmen to the Burgundian court; plate armor reached the medieval technical peak in joint mobility and protective coverage, equipping the duchy's cavalry in large numbers.
  3. c. 1477–1500States of the Holy Roman Empire · Holy Roman EmpireAfter the Battle of Nancy, Burgundian territories split apart, and Flemish and Dijon craftsmen migrated to the German lands and France; Burgundian plate forms and forging techniques became an important precursor to 16th-century Maximilian armor.

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