The ailettes are a typical element of the armour of a knight during the period 1260 till 1350. They are often rectangular in shape en mostly carry the knights blason.

Ailettes There is a lot of discussion going on about these ailettes. It is almost generally accepted that they only served a purpose as heraldic display, without having any defensive function. This proposition is made because there is some mention of ailettes made out of parchment in accounts from tounaments.

It is however our firm believe that these ailettes indeed had a defensive function and were made out of strong material. Several miniatures seem to agree with this while they show a structure on the underside that suggests a padded backing. There was probably a difference between ailettes for the tounament and ailettes for warfare. Their purpose was to protect the shoulders and the collarbone.

Our own reconstruction departs from iron plates on a thin wooden base and wrapped in linen. The underside is padded and has eyelets for the strapping on the shoulders by means of leather straps. Experimentation showed that the most comfortable way of wearing them is by fixing them onto the jupon and then lace them on the hauberk with a single knot.

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