Vintage Upper Torso (Front + Back)

Vintage armor’s history spans millennia evolving from basic materials like animal hides and wood to complex metal constructions. Early forms of armor like scale mail and fabric cuirasses appeared in ancient civilizations like Sumer Egypt and China. The development of metalworking allowed for more sophisticated designs including plate armor which reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe. Evidence of early armor is found on the Stele of Vultures in ancient Sumer showcasing scale mail. Various forms of scale mail also existed in the New Kingdom of Egypt , Zhou dynasty China and dynastic India.

Early armor utilized readily available materials like animal fur , thick leather , wood and bone. The development of metalworking led to the use of overlapping copper or bronze scales followed by bronze cuirasses , helmets and shin guards. Plate armor began developing in the 13th century and gained prominence in the 14th and 15th centuries. By the 15th century plate armor became the dominant form of protection largely displacing mail and fabric armor. The full suit of armor also referred to as a panoply was a feature of the end of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.