European Shirt of mail 15th century
Most of a shirt of mail. One sleeve missing. It may have been cut away to form a gusset. The remains of the shirt have very nice details. The shirt includes a standing collar formed of heavier rings. The wire from which these rings were formed is thicker than the main body rings and the overlap for the rivet is even larger. This makes it stiff enough to stand up and protect the neck. The remaining sleeve is short. It does not seem to be due to loss. There are a few brass rings at the lower edge showing that the original form remains. The bottom edge is asymetric. The back is shorter than the front. There is a central slit in the front. Rings with noticeable swelling at the rivet. The rings are vaguely triangular in section. The inside is flat, the front is beveled slightly throughout the ring, more aggresively at the rivet overlap. Some rings obviously attached with wedge rivets, others not as clear. The inside of the rivet is flush with the body of the ring, the outside forms a nice head. Brass rings at the bottom edge have iron rivets. Measurements in mm, but the scale shown in the images is in inches. The last image includes some nice details near the center including a ring with overlapped but un-punched, a ring where most of the rivet is lost so the wedge shaped hole is visible and a bent ring. It appears that there are several un-punched rings in this area, they may represent patching.
Weight: 4880g (in its current state)
Measurements of individual rings taken on the long straight edge from the standing collar, top of the body and bottom (all likely after significant rust):
Rings in the neck: od:10.8 across, 10.1 rivet to opposite, id across 7.4, 1.5 round wire swelling to 3.4 wide and 3.5 tall at the rivet. Measured on the "loose" upper corner ring.
Rings at the top of the body: od:11.2 across, 10.5 rivet to opposite, id across 7.5, 1 thick and 1.4-1.5 wide except at the rivet where it swells to 2.6 wide and 2.2 tall.
bottom edge: od:10.3 across, 10.2 rivet to opposite, id:7.5, .9 thick, 1.3-1.6 wide swelling to 2.2 at the rivet.
Not for sale.
Mail shirt 15th century
Crotch length body with long sleeves. Opens in the front. Sleeves with elbow bends and tapers in the upper arm and forearm. Arms joined to the body with a row of cross-linked rings at the armpit. There are 13 rings connecting the mail sections at this join. Tailored in the back to the shoulders with expansion from the shoulder to the shoulder blades and taper back to the waist. Small extension to the center back that can be pulled up and connected to the short section at the bottom of the left side to form a brayette. There is some expansion leading to this extension that allows the mail to fit to the buttocks. Right sleeve with a narrow cuff formed of 5 rows of much finer mail formed of round wire with wedge rivets also forming a pent roof. Formed of large mostly flat slightly oval rings, secured by wedge rivets with pent roof form at the overlaps. Rings tapering in size somewhat in size from the chest to the wrists and skirt. Some old repairs, assembly or modifications with smaller riveted links. Some minor areas of repair with modern butted links. Left forearm appears to be patched with a forearm from another shirt or sleeve as the wrists don't match and there seems to be one almost full row of butted rings. The repair is formed of nearly identical rings with correct taper, so was from an appropriate piece, not just a random swatch. Tailoring in the back of the body consists of 9 expansions on each side at the shoulder which then lead to 9 contractions back to the waist. There appears to be one spurious expansion as well. Below the waist, just right of center, there is a single line of 8 expansions which would allow the piece to fit to the buttocks. The shoulder expansions add a ring every even row. The contractions remove one every other even row, then the below waist expansions are also every other even row.
The style of the rings indicates a date in the first half of the 15th century. Many of the surviving shirts with brayette extensions are dated to the second half of the 15th century. All of these are associated with German manufacture, the ones which have identification rings are from Nuremberg.
Old rectangular brass collection tag at the neck marked 25.135.56. This style of tag and numbering scheme resembles those used by the Met. Unfortunately, this number is associated with a mid 16th c. close helmet, not a shirt of mail. So either the tag has changed items, or it comes from a different institution with a similar numbering scheme.
The pictures of the shirt on the mannequin body show the tailoring in the back of the shirt and approximate how it might hang. The shoulders and arms do not have proper support, so the arms should likely hang higher. The picture of the shirt with a cape and sword shows how the shirt was displayed in a previous collection.
Objectively the rings appear "large," and "flat." They appear to be much larger than those often found on separate sleeves and the outside face does appear flat except at the area of the rivet overlap. The back (inside) is much more rounded, so the rings really aren't flat, they are more "D" shaped. Actual measurements of a ring at the edge of the front opening near the top: Outside diameter 10mm x 10.6mm. Inside diameter 6.1mm x 7.5mm. Thickness 0.9mm rising to 2.1mm at the point of the rivet. Measurements of a ring on the lower edge at the right side: Outside diameter 9.7mm x 11mm, inside diameter 5.6mm x 8.0mm, thickness .07mm. Measurements of a ring at the cuff on the right sleeve: outside diameter 8.4mm x 8.8mm, inside diameter 5.8mm x 6.3mm, wire diameter 1.1mm.
Tom Biliter assembled a list of the known similar shirts. They include: Palazzo Venezia in Rome, Two in the RA (III.1354 III.1320), One at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (25.188.9-no photos), One at Musee de l'Armee GPO 2749, One at the DHM (possibly inv. num 5070 if a Pinterest note is accurate), one at the GNM W2944, Churburg CH T11, Philadelphia Museum of Art (item number unknown, no photos), and an item seen on FB post by Le Feru des sciences (not sure of collection). This appears to be another previously unpublished one. It appears that the normal pattern for these is a tapered section in the rear connected to an additional tapered and fitted piece at the front. The DHM example appears to be just like this one - it does not include a front triangle. It may be possible that both have lost this additional section, there may have been a separate cod piece, or they may have been designed to be used this way. Investigation of this piece shows that the width and length of the straight portion of the extension matches exactly the size of the recess in the center of the left side. If the flap is pulled up to fit in this recess, the result is that the straight edge at the front blends into a slight dip at the center back. This would indicate that there is no loss, and it was intended to be used in its current configuration.
Weight: 15 pounds 13.8 ounces (7195g).
Provenance: unnamed 1993 to 2023, Bill Scollard (1933-2018). I have a copy of a receipt from William Scollard that indicates that the shirt (or a shirt sold in 1993) came from the Bashford Dean collection.
Not for sale.
Mail shirt 16th-17th c.
The form of the rings is similar to 15th c. and earlier European items. The rings are roughly round with a swell at the rivet overlap that is rounded at the back and rises to a low point at the front. The form of the shirt is atypically long for this period. Small rings (averaging 6 rings in the body of the shirt yeilds an outside diameter of 7.5 mm and 1.07 mm wire) of round cross section. Overlaps heavily swelled and rivets set flush to ring surface. The torn rings show clearly that the rivets were wedge shaped. 44 inches long. Neck opening includes a small slit in the front where there is overlapped mail. This overlaps right over left. The body is pieced using larger rings. The placement of these is marked using string. Expansion rings are marked with V shaped ties. There were probably originally more expansion rings on the right side, where there are currently losses. Some of the larger rings are probably also missing as their line overlaps losses. There are also what appear to be a number of repair rings. These are formed of round wire where the ends of the wire overlap and one is bumped over the other as a simple catch. Erik D. Schmid has commented that the main fabric rings appear to be unremarkable - like late 14th c. or early 15th c. with a suggestion that they are Milanese in origin. This is somewhat later than the form would suggest, but still European and medieval. Further discussion indicates that this is probably a shirt made in Milan for export use in the Turkish or Mamiluk market. The form is most similar to a large number of shirts that survive in the Topkapi Palace armory in Istanbul.
Details
- Detail #1: Although this image is somewhat out of focus, it shows the top edge of an overlap having been torn loose. In better focus, and also of interest are the lines in the wire caused by the draw plate.
- Detail #2: A better focused shot showing the torn overlap and missing rivet.
- Detail #3: An inside view of another torn overlap and missing rivet from another ring. Of note is the remaining hole in the other half of the ring, a sort of elongated pentagon with flat base and shallow sides, which reveals the shape of the drift used to make the hole.
- Detail #4: The inside view of another missing rivet and torn overlap.
- Detail #5: This shows the same ring as Detail #6 beside a millimeter scale. The end of the ring appears to have been cut with a shearing type tool.
- Detail #6: Here is the same inside view of the hole from the missing rivet sans scale.
- Detail #7: A peculiar example of a mis-aligned rivet. The rivet was inserted from the inside at an angle, but was driven out the side of the overlap between the two halves rather than through the outside hole. The rectangular base and long point which was not distorted make it positive that wedge riveting is used.
Weight 16 pounds 3.6 ounces.
Not for sale.
Mail Voider 16th century
For the right arm. Rings of somewhat flattened form. Rings averaging app. 7 mm outside diameter. Overlap in the form described as pent roof on both sides. Wedge rivets. Tapered with expansion under the arm to accommodate the shoulder. Wider across the back. labeled as German. The pent roof shape of the overlap is associated with German manufacture. Small brass borders of alternating solid and riveted rings eleven rows wide (6 solid, 5 riveted.). The solid rings flat, the riveted rings of round section. Wedge rivets. Border is secured by a line of flattened butted rings indicating that it was almost certainly added after the working life of the piece. App. 9 in. wide at the cuff, 9 in. long at the edges, 10 in. long at the center and 15 in. wide at the base.
Detail images over the scale show the outside and inside of the rings. Microscope images show: first and second show a broken ring where the rivet has held, though the top of the overlap has partially torn free, third shows striations (possibly from punching) on the solid latten rings of the edging, fourth shows draw marks on the riveted latten rings and burring on the punched rings, fifth shows the back of the brass wedge rivets and more striations on the punched rings, sixth shows the shape of a rivet hole in the latten rings - a trapezoid similar to a sharp-cornered USB connector. Detailed images and analysis by Mart Shearer.
Not for sale.
European Mail collar 16th century
Mail Collar. Formed of very small rings (app. 1/8 inch i.d.) of round cross section. Taper formed by the addition of a triangular gusset in the middle. 6 1/2 inches tall. Body of rivetted rings. Wedge rivets. Border of 3 rows of brass rings - 2 of solid punched rings and one riveted. Formerly in the collection of Leonard Heinrich - armourer to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
Not for sale.
Piece of Mail 16th century
Piece of Mail. Rings of round cross section except at the overlap. All rings rivetted. Wedge rivets.
Detailed analysis by Mart Shearer shows that this is either the remnant of, or perhaps a piece in progress of becoming an armpit defense, commonly called a voider. Ring level detail images use a millimeter scale. They show (in order a-h):
- a and b show the outer side of the riveted joint. Tool marks at the edge of the round wire leave a noticeable edge where the flattened overlap begins.
- c shows the back of the wedge rivet, with an apparent split in the rivet
- d and e show fractures of the overlap next to the rivet. This is not a modern phenomenon. Considering the size of these rings, perhaps we should be amazed they were able to rivet them at all.
- f shows a nick in the wire, likely from the tool used to cut the rings from the coil, though damage from some sort of edged weapon is possible.
- g shows three of the wedge rivets. Although one is still firmly in place, the other two have some gaps where they were not successfully closed or have backed out of the drifted hole.
- h shows a wedge rivet which has come out between the side of the overlap, rather than piercing the top.
Not for sale.
European Mail Shirt 16th century
Shirt of mail. 16th century, likely German. Long sleeves. Rings of flattened form. Slight swells at the rivets. Wedge rivets. A band of smaller rings around the neck. Open at the front. Overall formed of alternating rows of solid and riveted rings. A band at the front on each side formed of all riveted rings. Rings in the body app. 5/16 in. i.d., often forming slight ovals instead of perfect circles. The smaller rings at the neck app. 3/16 in. i.d. The 'collar' formed of 11 rows of small links and one row of normal sized rings at the border. App. half of the sleeves formed of somewhat heavier all riveted rings with cruder rivets. Careful inspection shows that this sleeve extension has been added with butted rings and is closed by a row of butted rings so this was almost certainly added after the working life of the shirt. Significant losses. Round brass collection tag with '707'.
Additional analysis by Mart Shearer:
The first thing I noticed when picking up this shirt is the heaviness of the lower sleeves, a condition which seems to make little sense as a defense.
Detailed analysis by Mart Shearer:
As Wade's notes already observe, these oval rings are attached (and indeed are seamed into a tube) with opened riveted rings, showing these pieces are not original. The lower sleeves are all riveted, made with wedge riveted rings of flattened, oval form. Five rings were measured from both sleeves, with an average external diameter of 12 mm (0.47") parallel to the rivet, and a diameter averaging 10.7 mm (0.42") across the rivet. The internal dimensions averaged 9.1 mm (0.36") across by 6.4 mm (0.25") inside the rivet. The wire thickness averages 0.84 mm (0.033"). Although the wire is clearly flattened, the width to thickness ratio remains less than 2.5:1. Rivet height of the wedge rivets averages 2.25 mm (0.09"). These added oval rings are much stouter and in better condition than the majority of this front-opening shirt.
Detail images on an inch scale. The first shows a section of the outside of the body, the second and third show outside and inside of the front edges including a section of the collar. Microscopic images show:
- a shows the front of a riveted join from the added sleeves of oval mail. The flanged metal from the drift can be seen beside the point of the wedge rivet. The millimeter scale appears above.
- M-8b and M-8c show the interior of the wedge rivets in the oval rings. There is a noticeable crimp towards the inside of the ring at the rivet overlap, perhaps indicating a short reach on the riveting tool. Again, the scale is in millimeters.
Not for sale.
piece of mail 16th century
Piece of mail. 16th century, likely German. Alternating rows of riveted and solid rings. Flattish form with swelling at the rivet. Watershed form on both sides of the rivet overlap. Rivet heads pronounced on the outside and flush on the inside. Rivets seem to be wedge shaped. Some losses. 10 1/2 in tall, 35 in. wide with the mail stretched wide. Rings vary in size, in general the riveted rings are larger than the solid ones, all somewhat larger than 1/4 in. inside diameter. Solid rings vary in cross section - some very thin, some more washer-like. Some of the solid rings seem to have some flats on the outer edge as if they were punched from sheet and sometimes a ring overalapped the edge of a previous ring. Includes at least one spot near a current hole that includes 2 rings that appear to be working life repairs. They are in a solid row and show distinct round rivets.
Sample ring measurements - punched rings thickness - .050, .060, .082, .044, .055, .080, .060. Riveted rings thickness - .040, .055, .056, .045, .064. Outside diameter of riveted rings .415, .412, oval-ish one .400x.435. Inside diameter is hard to measure, but a few sample punched rings are .260 and a few sample riveted rings are .280.
Detailed analysis by Mart Shearer adds:
As Wade has already provided measurement for this well-made piece of mail, there are only a few other points to be made. The size of this rectangular piece without expansions could mean it came from the belly of a mail shirt, or a piece of horse armor, or it might simply be the size woven by the journeyman for addition into some later work by the master. Although well made, there are a number of single missing rings throughout the fabric and along the edges. Modernly, these are attributed to the fictitious "mail-moth", as if an iron eating variety of insect made holes similar to those made in wool by clothes moth larvae. Tom Biliter observed that one of these missing rings is surrounded by a number of rings which have been stretched into extreme ovals, as well as riveted rings which have opened or lost their wedge rivet. Another area has two diagonally placed rings folded like taco shells. It seems likely that these were caused by some heavy impact to the fabric by a piercing blow and a small or curved cutting tool. Whether these were caused in battle, or as part of a proofing of the armor, as possibly depicted in Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Pal.lat.1888, fo.18v, remains to be determined.
The three micrographs show fracturing of the solid rings, which appears to be caused from the use of heterogenous plate as a base material to punch rings. These "streaky steels", as Dr. Alan Williams refers to them, can sometimes de-laminate due to the inclusion of silica stringers, forming grains in the steel. Another possible explanation would be the inadequate welding of smaller wire to form the solid rings. The rings were lifted for the micrographs using a blue ink, Uniball, micropoint pen.
Not for sale.
Mail shirt 16th
Mail Shirt hip length with short sleeves and collar. Open at the center of the neck. Rings of flattened form, entirely riveted. Wedge rivets. Collar of slightly heavier rings somewhat more crudely made. The rivet heads on the collar on the opposite side. This indicates the collar was added, almost certainly during the working life of the shirt. The body is formed of slightly heavier rings than the bottom border, the ends of the sleeves are even lighter. There is one row of solid rings around the bottom. The shirt is tailored in the back in two lines. These lines start over the shoulder blades and drop rings down to the waist and then down to the top of the shoulder. There are also some expansion rings in the lower center of the back. The main lines of expansion and contraction add and drop 10 rings on each side. Marking shows most of these, I later found the additional expansions. This provides a lot of extra material over the shoulder blades which would allow for good forward movement. The front is not tailored in the same way. The images with flags indicate the locations of the expansion rings. They point in the direction of expansion. The main rings have an oval form. It appears that the main rings in the main body are app. 5/16 x 1/4 in. ID. The smaller, thinner ones along the sleeve edge are app. 1/4 in. ID and more round.
Detail images show: the first three show the rings in the main body at the center join in the front, the next two show the collar rings and the last show the rings at the edge of the skirt.
Not for sale.
Mail Sleeve 16th century
Formed of small rings with app. 7/32 inch inside diameter measured with a ruler. Wire thickness measured with a dial gauge app. .030 in. OD of rings app. .270 varying noticeably as many of the rings are slightly oval. For these rings the ID would be app. .210 inch or 5.4 mm. This is consistent with the rough measurement. The sleeve includes an area covering the shoulder and armpit, full sleeve with bend at the elbow and tapering to the form of the arm. Rings of rounded section with flattened area for the rivet. All rings riveted. Wedge rivets with the back set flush and front forming a a shallow point. Rings of consistent size. No signs of decorative rings at the edge of the gusset. There are a very few remaining rings that are likely brass at the cuff. Small losses, but relatively sound. Missing rings have been replaced with butted rings to stabilize the fabric. The total surface area is 564 sq. inches, given the density of the mail this means there are app. 18,340 rings in this sleeve. It weighs app. 3 lb. 5 oz. (1500 g). The sleeve is tailored using a line of reductions on the upper arm running in a line from near the corner of the cross-grain joint of the armpit to a place just shy of the elbow. It also has two lines of row reductions in the forearm. This sleeve is larger than the other one and less dense. Analysis, repairs and marking by Robert MacPherson.
Detail images show the edge of the shoulder area over an inch scale. Microscopic images show: first a missing rivet in the iron rings with a trapezoidal hole, second shows a missing rivet in the latten cuff. The cusped edge on the solid latten ring is generally considered evidence of punching too close to the edge of a previous hole. Detailed images and analysis by Mart Shearer.
Not for sale.
Mail Sleeve 16th century
Formed of small rings with an inside diameter slightly over 5/32 inch. round section wire was used to make these rings. The rings in the body section are thicker than the rings at the end of the sleeves. In the body the wire is app. .038 in in diameter, the end of the sleeve is .029. The outside diameter of the rings is app. .240 in. With area covering the shoulder and armpit, full sleeve with bend at the elbow and tapering to the form of the arm. Iron rings of round cross section all riveted. The flattened area at the rivet is slightly bevelled on both sides forming a cross section that is roughly a diamond shape. Wedge rivets flush on the inside and forming a shallow point on the outside. Very small rings. Decorative border of copper alloy (brass) rings at the edge of the gusset and at the wrist. Border of alternating solid and riveted rings of 4 rows of solid and 3 rows of riveted rings. Small and medium losses, but overall form remains. Butted rings have been added to stabilize the fabric. The total surface area is 507 sq. inches, given the density of the mail this means that there are app. 24,350 rings. It weighs app. 4 lb. 9.5 oz. (2175 g).The sleeve is tailored using a line of reductions on the upper arm running in a line from near the corner of the cross-grain joint of the armpit to a place just shy of the elbow. It also has two lines of row reductions in the forearm. This sleeve is somewhat shorter than the other one and more dense. Analysis, repairs and marking by Robert MacPherson.
Detail images show the edge of the shoulder area over an inch scale. Microscopic images: the first shows the exterior view of the riveted rings, the second shows the interior of the riveted rings, the third shows a sprung ring wih the rivet intact. Microscopic images and analysis by Mart Shearer.
Not for sale.
Mail Sleeve 16th century
Body section formed of small slightly oval rings with an inside diameter app. .20x.24 inch. Round section wire app. .045 in diameter was used to make these rings. The end of the sleeve is formed of slightly smaller rings .20 id and smaller wire, app. .035 inch in diameter. The outside diameter of the rings is app. .30-.32 in the body and .027-.028 at the wrist. With area covering the shoulder and armpit, full sleeve with bend at the elbow and tapering to the form of the arm. Iron rings of round cross section all riveted. The flattened area at the rivet is slightly bevelled on both sides forming a cross section that is roughly a diamond shape. Wedge rivets flush on the inside and forming a shallow point on the outside. The sleeve is tailored using a line of reductions on the upper arm running in a line from near the rear corner of the cross-grain joint of the armpit to a place about 3 inches from elbow. It also has two lines of row reductions in the forearm. Appears to be for the left arm. There is what appears to be an intentional slit 5 rings deep at the outside of the wrist. The largest set of holes is near the inside of the elbow. In two cases there is a highly deformed ring right next to the missing ring. This may indicate actual damage in use. Purchased as a pair with item number M-17-a.
Weight 4 pounds 3.2 ounces (1905g)
Not for sale.
Mail Sleeve 16th century
Formed of small slightly oval rings with an inside diameter of .23-.25 inch thickness .032-.038 inch. . Outside diameter .032-.035 inch. Wrist rings .20-.-25 inch id, od .31-.33 and app. .025 thick. Rings of flattened cross section. With area covering the shoulder and armpit, full sleeve with bend at the elbow and tapering to the form of the arm. All rings riveted. The flattened area at the rivet is slightly bevelled on both sides forming a cross section that is roughly a diamond shape. Wedge rivets flush on the inside and forming a shallow point on the outside. Small rings. The sleeve is tailored using a line of reductions on the upper arm running in a line from near the corner of the cross-grain joint of the armpit to about 5 inches from the elbow. It also has two lines of row reductions in the forearm. There appears to be an intentional opening at the cuff that is 7 rings deep. This would allow the sleeve to fit over the hand and be joined closed. For the left arm. Purchased as a pair with item number M-17.
Images show (in order) M-17-a laid out flat, M-17 on the left and M-17-a on the right, rings at the borrom edge of the body portion from the outside and inside, a single image showing both the inside and outside lower corners of the body with a scale, the lower edge of the body with scales from the outside and inside, the wrist at the split displaying the inside and outside together, the same cuff edge with a scale and finally the lower corner of the body and a corner of the cuff together. All scales are in inches.
Weight 3 pounds (1360g)
Not for sale.
Mail Sleeve 16th c
For the right arm. Entirely riveted rings. Formed of round wire with wedge rivets. Full length, fitted at the elbows and with an opening at the wrist. Very minor losses. This sleeve appears on the left in the image of both sleeves. Provenance: Joe Kindig Jr. (1891-1971) then by descent.
Not for sale.
Mail shirt 17th century
Mail Shirt, probably Eastern European. Formed of varying size and thickness rings. The rings over the chest are much heavier than those in the skirt and sleeves. Formed of alternate rows of riveted and solid rings. The rings are 3/8in i.d. The rings at the chest are much thicker than those at the edges. There is a rectangular patch of finer mail under the arm pit. The rings have a roughly 'wankel' cross section. App. 31 inches long. Opens down the entire front. Details show rings from the collar, chest and skirt. Detail images with scale are on an inch scale.
Not for sale.
Mail Sleeve 17th/18th century
Probably for the left arm. Likely eastern. Body section formed of alternating rows of solid and riveted rings both of flat section. Sleeve portion also of alternating riveted and solid rings. Riveted rings of round section wire. Appears to be well formed with good overlaps with pin rivets. Solid rings appear to have been cut from sheet, with facets on the outside visible even after wear. Two buckles in the front and some extensions at the back which may have connected to the other sleeve. Both buckles secured with a metal mounting plate and riveted with a large headed rivet. One plate with simple stamped decoration and complete buckle. The other with a plain plate and loss in the buckle. Full length, fitted at the elbow and with an opening at the wrist. Some extensive losses which have been patched with larger butted rings. Provenance: Joe Kindig Jr. (1891-1971) then by descent.
Not for sale.
Maker's ring circa ?
Sold as a Maker's mark ring from a shirt of european mail. Very likely actually a ring broach or buckle missing the tongue.
Not for sale.
Piece of Mail circa ?
Piece of mail. Additional comment by Mart Shearer based on the image: the corroded U-shaped piece appears similar to the "hangers" used on mail collars to keep the overlapped section in place. I propose the lower right corner is the top of the collar.
Not for sale.
Piece of Mail circa ????
Piece of Mail
Not for sale.
Piece of Mail circa ????
Small piece of Mail. Each ring stamped with parallel lines. Rectangular rivets of copper alloy.
Additional analysis by Mart Shearer:
It is certainly a piece of Islamic (possibly Northern Syrian or Persian) mail. Three factors point to this origin, all of which are shared by an example in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (14.99.28) which is described as probably early 16th c. Syrian or Turkish..
- The overlap of the riveted join extends inward in a point. This may keep the ring from hanging at the stress point of the rivet. It seems to be a feature of north Islamic, and sometimes Caucasian mail.
- The coined concentric rings are noted by the Met to be, "a feature found on mail shirts with both Mamluk and Iranian associations.
- "The yellow rivets in iron were popular in Europe in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, where they are noted as "saffroned hauberks".
Hervis of Metz, Roman de Garin, ll.9404-9405:
Et puis vestit .I. blanc hauberc safrei, D'argant la maille, li clavains fut dorez", And then dressed in 1 saffroned white hauberk The mail of silver, the nails were of gold,"
However, copper-alloy rivets remained in use far longer in Indo-Persian mail. Further, the use of rectangular rivets (David Edge has referred to these as "slotted" rivets) seems to be a feature peculiar to Mamluk mail. Compare MET 14.99.28 illustrated in the second image.
Not for sale.