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.
If you have any questions, please send them to Wade Allen
This site last updated Wed Apr 13 19:23:18 EDT 2022