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Mail Shirt with Inscribed Rings

15th–16th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 371
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).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mail Shirt with Inscribed Rings
  • Date: 15th–16th century
  • Culture: possibly Iranian
  • Medium: Iron, copper alloy
  • Dimensions: 49 3/16 x 29 1/8 in. (125 x 74 cm)
  • Classification: Mail
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2016
  • Object Number: 2016.2
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

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Shirt of Mail and Plate, Steel, iron, copper alloy, gold, silver, leather, Iranian or Turkish
Shirt of Mail and Plate
Iranian or Turkish
15th–16th century
Turban Helmet, Steel, gold, silver, Iranian
Turban Helmet
Iranian
late 15th century
Armor of Mail and Plate, Steel, iron, copper alloy, textile, Indian, Sindh (now Pakistan)
Armor of Mail and Plate
Indian, Sindh (now Pakistan)
late 18th–first half of the 19th century
Mail Shirt, Iron, copper alloys, leather, Indian or Iranian
Mail Shirt
Indian or Iranian
dated A.H. 1232/1816–17 CE
Pair of Thigh and Knee Defenses, Steel, iron, copper alloy, silver, leather, Iranian or Turkish
Pair of Thigh and Knee Defenses
Iranian or Turkish
15th century

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