The main difference between a functional armour and a decorative one is very simple. The first one is used to take part in tournaments, amusement activities, combats or medieval festivals. While the second one is used as an ornament element. Functional armour is a medieval apparel made of metal parts and other tough materials, which have as main goal to protect the fighter´s body.
The purpose of a decorative armour will mainly be enjoy of it in a visual way, without giving it any funcional use. The decorative armour is static, like an statue; is a decorative object wiht no fixed function. It can be placed as a beautiful and valuable item, specially in castles. Decorative armour is undoubtedly one of the most lovely pieces, if we ant to do up any room or building with a medieval theme. Middle Age lovers will fin in this item, an exact reproduction of armours worn by Knights back in the days.
The armour dates from the Ancien Egypt when military dressings consisted of a helmet and a hard clothing or metal plaques breastplate. Nowadays we are still using those magnificient functional armours for full contact medieval combats, they usually are made of steel plaques joined by hooks, nuts, latches, and nails attached to the warrior by belts and buckles. Functional armours in medieval combats must pass several tests to evalute its resistance.
An entire armour is made up of multiple articulated pieces, which may arrive to be 250 with a weight of 25-30 kg approximately, but most of them have about 25 pieces distributed in the following groups:
Head, trunk, superior and inferior extremities.
