Armor Type:  Torso armor

Brief Description:  A "placard" (or plackart) is a 15th-century plate armor reinforcement that covered the lower half of a knight's front torso. Attached to the upper breastplate, it protected the stomach while its sliding rivets allowed the wearer to bend, twist, and move flexibly.

Key Characteristics:

Placement: It acted as the bottom segment of the front cuirass, covering the abdomen below the natural waistline.

Articulation: Unlike the static upper breastplate, a placard was often attached via vertical leather straps or sliding rivets. This overlapping system slid up and down, keeping the stomach protected when the knight leaned forward.

Mounting Point: The bottom edges of a placard commonly featured rivets used to attach the faulds—a series of horizontal, skirt-like lames designed to protect the hips and groin.

Evolution: Throughout the 15th century, particularly in Italian and Gothic armor styles, the placard evolved to cover increasingly larger portions of the chest, sometimes engulfing nearly the entire front breastplate to maximize deflection against heavy impacts.