Mail Coat
Culture, using
Persian
Date1600s-1800s
Mediumiron and leather fragments
Dimensions122 × 150 cm (48 1/16 × 59 1/16 in.), 25 lb (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.860
DescriptionReasonably good condition, rather good quality mail, with rivets hardly visible. Long sleeves and skirts, V-neck. Deeply split at the crotch for riding. Traces of leather edging at top of rear slit and at collar. Unlike many Sudanic cavalry coats, this seems to have been made this way.Tightly woven links of 10 mm ext diameter 8mm int, alternating riveted with punched links. Slightly flattened cross-section. Some links very worn. Some modern butted links at repair points at armpits, neck, and cuffs.
Label TextMail remained in use in northern and Sudanic Africa longer than in Europe or the Middle East. As a result, there was a thriving trade in old mail, as unused body armor was exported to African markets, where they were often altered to meet local tastes and preferences.ProvenanceCollection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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