coloured armour

Originally posted by edgewaters Steel shields don't really appear until much later in the medieval era, when the heater shield became popular.

Even later. We have around a hundred heaters preserved from the high to late middle ages (that I know about), and all of them are made of wood with textile, paint and gesso coverings. The ordinances talk about wood and textile quality when discussing them as well.

Some late medieval bucklers are all-steel, as are some smaller late medieval knightly shields (you know, those that look rather silly and undersized and sometimes are affixed right to the armour).