Tassets were used to protect the hips and upper thighs much like an iron skirt. Early tassets were made of rows of narrow iron plates (called lames) overlapped and fastened by rivets and leather straps. The picture shows two lames from the bottom right tasset with their copper rivets. Later tassets, such as those shown on the De Gheyn soldier, were often made of one piece of iron and then stamped to resemble the earlier multi-piece design.

Tasset lames, iron, early 17th century. Context: Ditch 1, ca. 2nd quarter 17th century.