Allen Antiques

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.

If you have any questions, please send them to Wade Allen

This site last updated Wed Apr 13 19:23:18 EDT 2022