Mail Shirt with Inscribed Rings

Constructed entirely of interlocking riveted links of flattened iron except along the sleeves, hem, and front and rear slits, where the links are made of flattened copper alloy, this shirt opens down the front and extends downward over the hips. The majority of the links are each stamped on the obverse with the names of Allah and the five leading imams of the Shi’a (i.e. Muhammad, 'Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn), who are also collectively known as The Five (Panj tan) or the People of the Cloak (Ahl al-Kisa). These links are occasionally interspersed with links stamped with the talismanic invocation (translated): "There is no hero like 'Ali and no sword like Dhu'l faqar." These holy inscriptions ensured that the shirt provided the wearer with talismanic protection against peril. This is one of very few Islamic inscribed mail shirts with decorative copper-alloy borders that are known to survive. A related example is also in the Metropolitan Museum's collection (acc. no. 2014.198).