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Islamic cavalry soldiers fought by charging on small, swift horses,
shooting storms of arrows to confuse and surround the enemy. They
would close in, swinging curved swords called sabers. This kind of
fighting required flexible, lightweight armor. It was made of small
plates of iron and connected with sturdy links of mail placed at the
more vulnerable parts of the body; lighter-weight mail was used to
protect less vulnerable areas. Helmets, leg and arm guards, and shields,
which had to provide a lot of protection, were made of iron plate.
Human and animal symbols don't appear very often in the decoration
of Islamic arms and armor because using such images to decorate mosques
and the Qur’an was forbidden. Islamic artists based their decorations
on Arabic writing (often quotes from the Qur’an), arabesques
(patterns that look like vines), and geometric patterns.
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Armors
for Man and Horse; Steel, leather; Syrian; Armors for
Man and Horse, The Collection of Giovanni P. Morosini, presented
by his daughter Giulia, 1932 (32.75.248); Helmet, Rogers Fund
(84.3.208); Shield, Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (36.25.610);
Ax, Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (35.25.1829), Iranian, and
Turkish, comprehensively about 1450–1550
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Though the plates were originally
polished mirror bright, armors for man and horse were frequently
covered with textiles.
Click the magnifying glass to get a closer look.
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In medieval Spain, Arab and Jewish scholars preserved and passed
on to Europeans ancient scientific knowledge along with their
own advanced learning. An example of mixing of eastern and western
ideas in the art of armor making can be seen here in a 15th-century
Spanish gold and enameled helmet.
Parade Helmet in
Hispano-Moresque Style, late 15th–early 16th century;
Spanish;
steel, gold, silver, cloisonné enamel; H. 7 7/8 in. (20
cm), Wt. 3 lb. 12 oz. (1.7 kg);
The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
From the Lord Astor of Hever Collection Purchase, The Vincent
Astor Foundation Gift, 1983 (1983.413)
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