Mail sleeve
Culture
European
Dateprobably early 1500s
MediumIron and brass
Dimensions73 × 36 cm (28 3/4 × 14 3/16 in.), 3 lb, 10 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.858.2
DescriptionRound riveted mail; rectangular rivet holes; brass rings at cuff are flat, and alternate riveted and solid links.Label TextFrom the 1400s onward, sleeves like this were often worn underneath plate armor to provide protection at the gaps, like the armpits and elbows. Look at the armor in the next alcove to figure out where else the knight might wear mail. Making mail is actually a lot like knitting a sweater—you build it up one loop at a time, increasing and decreasing loops in each row to shape the garment. Notice the comfortably tailored elbow on this sleeve. Note also the decorative “cufflinks”!ProvenanceCollection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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