“What could be more precious to a king than an armor that will safeguard his body in combat?” Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519) As a royal in a “nondemocratic political system,” Maximilian had a ...

Head to the Frist Art Museum’s upper-level galleries, and you’ll come face-to-face with a 500-year-old knight in shining armor. OK, so it’s not an actual knight. The armor, however, is the real deal.

Knights had their day in the historical sun when fighting featured grueling hand-to-hand combat with swords, shields and lances. For centuries, they were the top of the food chain, elite fighters and ...