The Cuirass

Also called a pair of curates, a cuirass is simply a breastplate and backplate designed to be worn together. Cuirasses were used from at least the 8th century BC on. The muscle cuirass was most popular in 8th century BC Greece. These cuirasses were made of leather or bronze and conformed roughly to the shape of the torso muscles. During the middle ages, the steel plate cuirass was extensively used. Light enough to wear dismounted, it could also be coupled with other limb plates to form a complete suit of mounted armor. Seen head on, a cuirass appears to be a breastplate. The only difference between a breastplate and a cuirass is that with a cuirass, there’s also a backplate you don’t necessarily see.