Maximilian Knight in Ceremonial Armor

By the 16th century, crafting of fine armor by the metal artisans of southern Germany and northern Italy had reached its apogee of this form of battle dress. Fluted armor designed by Emperor Maximilian I (r.1503-1519) which bore his name was both stronger and lighter than its predecessors. Armor by the mid-1500s had become more ceremonial than a battlefield necessity. Famous warrior knights in beautifully etched and decorated ‘parade armor’ adorned with copious feathers and symbols still tilted lances, wounding and often killing opponents in huge and enormously popular tournaments. An example of the continued deadly aspect inherent in these contests of skill with weapons was the 1559 tournament to celebrate the peace between Spain and France, where King Henry II of France was mortally felled in the joust by a well-paced competitor lance.