From the Middle Ages to the Modern period, kings have invested considerable sums in their weapons and armour. Only armourers with the longest lineage were capable of elevating some of these pieces to the rank of works of art.
In the 15th century, the King of France incorporated armourers into his estates and charged them with prioritising royal orders. So he encouraged foreign armourers to set up in the city of Tours where he resided. The most renowned among them came from Milan in northern Italy. Charles VII was the first to encourage the production of quality weapons and armour to equip his young professional army. On January 9, 1450, he created an office of visitator general of harnesses and other war attire responsible for monitoring the manufacture and sale of defence equipment throughout the kingdom. In 1470, his son Louis XI made quality control even stricter by making it obligatory for all armour - not only manufactured in Tour but also imported from Milan - to bear a hallmark.
Once artillery appeared on the scene, defence equipment evolved very rapidly: by the beginning of the 16th century, arquebuses (firearms) had become very powerful and could greatly impair the effectiveness of armour. In the second half of the 17th century, plated armour disappeared completely.
At that time, French arquebusiers were renowned throughout Europe for their craftsmanship. They used the most expensive materials (gold, silver, mother-of-pearl and ivory) to turn pistols and rifles into luxurious works of art, coveted by the wealthiest sovereigns.
The most renowned of these artisans were housed in the galleries of the Louvre Palace, always close to the King of France.
Illustration
Minerva visiting the workshop of an armour beater
Illustration by Willem Vrelant (1410 ? – 1481) for the Epistle of Othea by Jean Miélot (1420 – 1472)
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