Mail Shirt
Date1700s
Mediumiron and leather
Dimensions102 × 138 cm (40 3/16 × 54 5/16 in.), 18 lb, 6 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.31
DescriptionGood-quality robust mail of riveted links, in excellent condition. Overlap at neck slit; a fragment of a leather tie survives here. Collar reinforced with leather strips passing through the links. Collar overlap is deep. Medium-length sleeves. Lower edge slit front and back.Label TextSome of the most attractive mail comes from India, where under Persian influence brass and iron rings were integrated in a style called “Ganga-Jamni,” alluding to the mixing of the muddy waters of the Ganges River with the dark ones of the Jamna. The headpiece here comes from the area of Lahore, the capital of Punjab and traditionally one of the leading centers of armor making in southern Asia. At the crown of the head this piece has a brass plate for a plume holder. The accompanying mail shirt has leather reinforcing for the collar, a style often found in Indian and Middle Eastern mail. It has heavy rings on the chest for extra protection, with lighter ones below and on the sleeves to reduce the overall weight of the garment.ProvenancePurchased by John W. Higgins on May 1, 1931 from W.O. Oldman (London, England). Given to the Museum on December 26, 1946. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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