Medieval Gorget – 18 Gauge

The French word ‘gorge’ meaning throat, was a band of linen wrapped around a woman’s neck and head in the medieval period. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the throat, a set of pieces of plate armour, or a single piece of plate armour hanging from the neck and covering the throat and chest. Later, particularly from the 18th century, the gorget became primarily ornamental, serving as a symbolic accessory on military uniforms, a use which has survived in some armies.