Royal Armory: Armor, Horses, and the Craft of Parade

The Real Armería bridges technology and ceremony. Armor protects, but also communicates rank. Horse barding reads as sculpture wrapped around a moving body.

Contents

• What to See First
• Function vs Display
• Reading Armor Like a Designer

What to See First

• Tournament armor compared with field armor shows purpose-built tradeoffs.
• Ceremonial helms with plumes speak a louder symbolic language.
• Horse barding mixes plates, leather, and textiles for motion.

Function vs Display

• Engraving density often increases as protection needs drop.
• Parade sets prioritize silhouette and iconography over coverage.
• Field pieces reveal scuffing patterns and repaired joints.

Reading Armor Like a Designer

• Follow articulation points to infer range of motion.
• Track repeating symbols to decode patron identity.
• Compare weight and coverage across centuries for insight into tactics.

The armory is a gallery of movement machines and social signals.