Detail of left tasset of a three-quarter field armour, about 1595-1600, II.360. Royal Armouries, CC BY 4.0

 

Tassets are the armour worn to protect the thighs. The left tasset you can see here is part of a beautifully decorated three-quarter field armour which belonged to Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. It was made around 1595-1600 and the whole surface is decorated by processes called etching and gilding.

 

This image is part of our Up Close online exhibition, which was made possible with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to use digital to enable our audiences to explore our collection in new and exciting ways.