Mail Shirt
1550–1575
- Medium
- Steel, iron, and brass
- Dimensions
- At shoulders: W.: 67.3 cm (26 1/2 in.); H.: 91.4 cm (36 in.)
- Genre
- Suit-element
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Tags
arms and armorsuit-elementArmor
About
Tailored to fit a sizable man, this mail shirt has heavier rings placed strategically to protect the neck and chest. The form-fitting sleeves billow out over the elbow to increase mobility. Shirts like this could have been used for fencing practice or worn for protection from bandits or assassins while traveling.