Description

The cuirassier was the heavy cavalryman or mounted soldier of the late 1500s and early 1600s. He was clad in full armor, like this suit, with the exception of his lower legs, which were protected by heavy riding boots. The cuirassier carried pistols and a sword as his principal weapons. Shortly after 1650, the heavy cavalry armor of the cuirassier disappeared from use. European cavalries by then abandoned full armor as impractical against the increased sophistication of firearms.