Knight Templar (Turning)

The Armoury's  exclusive range of intricately hand painted mounted armoured knights cover the period AD1100 to up the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485, and includes English kings from Richard the Lionheart, through to Edward I, Edward III, the Black Prince and Richard III. Each figure combines high quality sculpting with historically accurate heraldic painting by internationally acknowledged painters, who spend up to 80 hours on each figure. The overall dimensions of the 90mm scale cast metal knights are aproximately 6 inches in length x 7 inches high. Prices range from £850 to £1200. Sculptures can be painted to specific heraldic designs on request.

The Knight Templars

The Templars were organized as a monastic order, following a rule created for them by their patron, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a member of the Cistercian Order. Each country had a Master of the Order for the Templars in that region, and all of them were subject to the Grand Master, appointed for life, who oversaw both the Order's military efforts in the East, and their financial holdings in the West.

There were four divisions of brothers in the Templars: The knights, equipped as heavy cavalry (wore a white habit with red cross); the sergeants (serjens), equipped as light cavalry the serving brothers - the rural brothers (frères casaliers), who administered the property of the Order, and the frères de métiers, who performed menial tasks and trades; the chaplains, who were ordained priests and saw to the spiritual needs of the Order.

At any time, each knight had some ten people in support positions. Some brothers were devoted solely to banking (typically those with an education), as the Order was often trusted with the safekeeping of precious goods by participants in the Crusades; but the primary mission of the Knights Templar was warfare.

The Templars used their wealth to construct numerous fortifications throughout the Holy Land and were probably the best trained and disciplined fighting units of their day. They were also famous and easily recognized, with a white surcoat with distinct red cross emblazoned above the heart or on the chest, as seen in many portrayals of crusading knights.

Initiation into the Order was a profound commitment, and involved a secret ceremony. Few details of the rituals were known at the time, fueling the suspicions of medieval inquisitors, but initiates, at least in the early days of the Order, had to be of noble birth, of legitimate heritage, and had to be willing to sign over all of their wealth and goods to the Order. Further, joining the Order required vows of poverty, chastity, piety, and obedience. For the warriors of the Order, there was a cardinal rule of never surrendering. This fearless uncompromising nature of the Templars, along with excellent training and heavy armament, made them a feared and elite fighting force in medieval times