The hourglass gauntlet marks one of the earliest mature stages in the development of plate hand armour, appearing as armourers moved from simple mail gloves toward individually shaped steel components through the 14th century. The style takes its modern name from the shape of the cuff, narrowing sharply in around the wrist before flaring outward over the lower forearm. It remained popular for over fifty years before manufacturers began narrowing the cuff opening to close a gap that a sword point could otherwise exploit. This reproduction recreates that classic 14th-century hourglass form as a matched pair.
14th Century Hourglass Gauntlet, Pair
Hourglass gauntlets take their name from their distinctive shape: a cuff that narrows sharply at the wrist before flaring open toward the forearm, giving each gauntlet a silhouette like the sand-timer it’s named for. First appearing as mail gloves gave way to shaped steel plates through the 14th century, this style remained in circulation until the late 15th century, when narrower cuff designs began to replace the flared opening. This reproduction recreates that early plate hand armour form as a matched pair.
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