American Toby Jug Museum 

Knight figurine produced by Perconte of Sciacca, Italy, circa 2007. A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. In the Early Middle Ages in Europe, knighthood was conferred upon mounted warriors. During the High Middle Ages, knighthood was considered a class of lower nobility. By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior. Often, a knight was a vassal who served as an elite fighter or a bodyguard for a lord, with payment in the form of land holdings. Knighthood in the Middle Ages was closely linked with horsemanship, and especially the joust, from its origins in the 12th century until its final flowering as a fashion among the high nobility in the 15th century.