Armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object through direct contact. Personal armour is used to protect soldiers during war. Armour has been used throughout history. Armour has been made out of a variety of different types of materials.
In present time, armour has become more wearable. Wearable armour is not as heavy plated as it was in the middle ages. Ballistic vests also known as flak jacket are common among police force. The US Army has adopted Interceptor body armour which has been adapted to stop a range of ammunition.
As an interior designer you have to please your client. No matter what their taste may be, regardless if you agree or not, it’s not your decision. If your client has a vision then that’s all that matters. Sometimes decorating can take you to the extreme.
When I was asked to decorate a home office with medieval décor, I was a little taken aback. Where does one start? It seemed so far fetched, but it’s what the client wanted. I decided to go with a castle theme. I purchased a tall standing knight suit, a couple gargoyles for the desk, and heavy tapestry for the windows. At the end it turned out pretty unique. The client was happy and oddly enough so was I.
Growing up with brothers you got to experience a lot of interesting things. A brother’s imagination is like no other. They were obsessed with Dungeon and Dragons. They would be out in the front yard battling it out for hours.
One particular day they were in the front yard playing like they do and the most tragic thing happened. They had sticks as their fantasy swords and one brother accidently poked the other in the eye. It was unreal. I couldn’t believe it. Luckily, it was just a poke, but after that my mother banned playing make believe with sticks.
A sword is a long-edged piece of forged metal, used in many civilizations throughout the world primarily as a cutting or thrusting weapon. The sword was developed from the dagger when the construction of longer blades became possible, from the late third millennium BC in the Middle East. The first was made from arsenic copper and then in tin bronze.
Collectible swords has become very popular in the states. There are three types of swords, which include single and doubled edge, two handed, and a hand and a half. Collectors tend to have a wide variety of swords. Depending on the era, you can collect swords anywhere from the Shang Dynasty to the Western Zhou Dynasty. Swords are unique in design and blades.
In the 16th century Japan began trading with Europe during what would become known as the Nanban trade. Samurai acquired European armor, including the cuirass and comb morion, which they modified and combined with domestic armor as it provided better protection from the newly-introduced matchlock muskets. Armor was also worn during the Tokugawa Shogunate, even after guns had replaced the naginata and bow, and was still in use by rebel samurai during the Boshin War and Meiji Restoration.
Japanese armor was generally made of many small steel or leather plates connected to each other by rivets, lace, or chain armor kusani. These armor plates could be attached to a leather or cloth backing. It was designed to be as lightweight as possible. It was developed repeatedly over the centuries since its introduction to the battlefield. The samurai were notably the most common to wear the armor.
Like their Greek neighbors, Spartan warriors used typical hoplite equipment in battle. The main distinguishing characteristics of Spartan armor are the crimson tunic and cloak. Spartan warriors also kept their hair long much later into history than other Greek city-state warriors; short hair was associated with slaves.
The Greek letter Lambda was also adopted in 420s BCE. It is thought to stand for Laconia or Lacedaemon, and was painted on the round shields of the Spartan warriors. The Spartan helmet is also instantly recognizable and still used as a symbol for many sports teams and universities. Spartan soldiers also wore leg greaves and flanged bronze cuirasses.
Spanish rapiers date back to 15th century Toledo. Spanish masters mixed hard and soft steel to give rapier swords strength and flexibility. These swords were narrow, long, and had a slight edge.
A rapier sword was used almost exclusively as a thrusting weapon. At first, the swords were used on the offensive, but eventually became a self-defense tool. It was primarily used by civilians for protection and for duels. In the 16th century, other European nations developed their own rapiers, such as the German Rappier which was used in sport fencing. Use of the rapier for civilian combat dropped off after the 17th century.
When the crusaders battled against their Arab opponents, they came face to face with the deadly scimitar. The scimitar is a backsword with a curved blade that originated in the Middle East. It was used by warriors on horseback because it was lightweight in comparison to other swords, making it easy to wield while also holding the reins of a horse.
Soldiers of the Khurasan region of Persia are the first known users of the scimitar during the 9th century. During the crusades, a special crusader shield was designed specifically to protect the wearer against the deadly scimitar. Today, the weapon still holds significance. For instance, it can be seen on the coat of arms of Saudi Arabia.
Prior to World War II, the butterfly sword was not well-known outside of China. The deadly swords feature a single-edged blade that is as long as a human forearm. This length allowed for concealment inside loose sleeves or boots. Typically, butterfly swords are wielded in pairs.
Butterfly swords, also known as butterfly knives, were only sharpened from the midpoint to the tip. This way, the dull part of the battle knives could be used to knock an opponent unconscious without being fatal. Another interesting fact is that butterfly swords were often kept in the same scabbard. This gave the illusion of a single weapon until the wielder was ready to attack.
During the Middle Ages social strata played an immense role in fashion trends. In fact, you could instantly tell a person’s station in life based on the clothing they wore. For instance, only the wealthy could afford fabrics such as velvets, furs, silks, and taffeta brought from the Middle East and Italy. They were died vibrant hues with extracts from rare plants.
Peasants were not so fortunate in their style of medieval clothes. Peasant men wore knee length tunics of plain colored fabrics, tied with a belt. Women of the peasant class also wore the coarse materials as long dresses. The only similarity between the two classes in terms of dress is that wearing layers was necessary to stay warm during the frigid winter months.