This list identifies various pieces of

body armour Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...

worn from the medieval to early modern period in the

Western world The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

, mostly plate but some mail armour, arranged by the part of body that is protected and roughly by date. It does not identify fastening components or various appendages such as lance rests or plumeholders, or clothing such as tabards or surcoats, which were often worn over a harness. There are a variety of alternative names and spellings (such as ''cowter'' or ''couter''; ''bassinet'', ''bascinet'' or ''basinet''; and ''besagew'' or ''besague'') which often reflect a word introduced from French. Generally, the English spelling has been preferred (including ''mail'' instead of the lately used ''maille'' or the inauthentic term ''chainmail''). The part of armour on the hand is called the ''gauntlet'', which is based on a French word.

Japanese analogues

The following components of Japanese armour roughly match the position and function of certain components of occidental armour: * Kusari zukin (mail coif) *

Mengu , also called or , are various types of facial armour that were worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. These include the ''sōmen'', ''menpō'', ''hanbō'' or ''hanpō'', and ''happuri''. Description The ''men-yoroi'' ...

(mask) *

Kabuto ' (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors which, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Note that in the ...

(helmet) *

Dō Dō may refer to: * Dō (architecture) * Dō (armour) * Dō (martial arts) * Dō (philosophy) ''Tao'' or ''Dao'' is the natural order of the universe, whose character one's intuition must discern to realize the potential for individual wisdom, ...

(cuirass) *

Kote Kote may refer to: * Kotë, a place in Albania * Kote, Karnataka, a village in India * Köte, a charcoal burner's hut in Germany's Harz Mountains * Kote, a pair of mitts worn when practicing kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended ...

(vambrace and lower pauldron) * Han kote (gauntlet) * Sode (roughly pauldron) * Suneate (greave) * Kusazuri (fauld or tasset) *

Wakibiki Auxiliary armour in a set of Japanese armour are optional pieces worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan in addition to the traditional six armour components. Description The six major articles or components of Japanese armour (''hei-no-rokugu, ...

(bezagews) * Nodowa (gorget) * Kusari katabira (hauberk) * Kikko katabira (brigandine) * Kôgake (sabaton) * Kusari shikoro (aventail) {{Elements of Medieval armor Medieval armour Body armor Western plate armour Medieval armour