A cuirass is a piece of medieval armor, formed of a single piece of metal or leather. The term is sometimes understood to refer to complete body armor, including breastplate and back plates, but during the Middle Ages referred to a breastplate only. Elizabeth I of England often wore one.
During the 14th century, the cuirass came into general use, usually resting on the hips so as not to impede the wearer’s ability to move, and often worn covered. Over the next few centuries, the cuirass evolved to feature different shapes, ridges, and formations. The use of the cuirass never ceased completely, and some more modern armies have utilized body armor of the medieval chivalry era. French and German heavy cavalry were still issued the cuirass as standard combat gear leading up to World War I. In the early part of that conflict, the French and German armies painted their cuirasses black, wearing canvas protection to cover the neo-Roman style helmets. Today, a leather cuirass could substitute for a metal one in live-action reenactments of historical battles.