The pinnacle of ancient personal armor would reach its zenith in the 15^th and 16^th centuries just before firearms became widespread to the point that they would become a serious threat on the battlefield.  Before that, though, the armored knight would be equipped head to toe with the finest steel craftsmanship available at the time, and in a day and age without mass production that level of craftsmanship is simply stunning.  The Gold Etched Spanish Suit of Armor of the 16^th Century is a fine reproduction of what kind of care and expression that armor and sword makers back in those days had in their work.  With 24 karat gold exquisitely etched into this beautiful Spanish suit of armor, it was functional and beautiful, capable of adequately protecting the nobleman or knight who might wear it.  Contrary to popular belief, though such a suit is heavy, the weight is dispersed relatively evenly about the body, so the warrior isn’t particularly encumbered by it.  Also, the design lends itself well to the knight’s mobility, enabling him to get right back up from falling from his horse quickly and easily.  After all, anything that significantly hinders you in combat is going to be useless, and if such pieces were ultimately useless you wouldn’t have the concept of the knight in shining armor at all.  This and other suits of armor will be ogled by your guests as they have trouble taking their eyes off both it and the swords you’ll have on display to accompany it.