Arm Guard (Dastana)

Indian

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 379

This type of arm guard, known as a dastana, was used throughout Turkey, Iran, and India. Its curved plate protected the outside of the forearm and is connected to a pair of shorter plates that guarded the inside of the wrist. The inscriptions on this example are incorporated into the gold decoration and the nail-head design on the mitten and include Qur’anic verses and the popular Shi‘i prayer Nad-i ‘Ali (Call upon ‘Ali).

Arm Guard (Dastana), Steel, gold, textile (velvet), textile (silk), textile (linen), copper alloy, Indian

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Arm Guard (Dastana), Steel, gold, textile (velvet), textile (silk), textile (linen), copper alloy, Indian
Arm Guard (Dastana), Steel, gold, textile (velvet), textile (silk), textile (linen), copper alloy, Indian

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