Originally posted by tim60 Interesting that the designs in the metal are somewhat similar to the ornamented suits of armour in the Tower, such as Henry VIII's later suit.
Floral motifs have been popular for arms and armour for almost six hundred years.
When a canny antique dealer in the 19th century made a bunch of forgeries (actually, he had about a dozen suits of armour made, each with one piece from the original pattern, making them all "restorations" instead of replicas), his artists copied etching designs from antique pattern books, not realizing that some of the 'hand' designs they used were actually rude gestures. They should have stuck to flowers.
Totally metal! (this is one of the tamer hands):