Old Chain Mail, European Medival or Late Ottoman??

A Senefelder · 28th September 2009, 12:00 AM

I have handled a shirt with a nearly identicle hook closure design for the split at the neck that was late 15th or 16th century Irish. The rings were of thicker wire at the neck, shoulders and chest, graduating out to thinner diameters the farther twords the extremities ( arms ) it got. I've seen this construction method before on other European maille, the idea being that the limbs move alot, making them a harder target to hit solidly so the wire could be thinner there, thus saving weight ( I owned at one point a Georgian maille and plate coat built the same way ). Something about this shirt says Turkish to me, maybe its the higher neck line, or something about the beefy rings, but it strikes me as Turk. Just a gut feeling. It is in excellent condition!

28th September 2009, 12:00 AM	#2
A Senefelder Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 214	I have handled a shirt with a nearly identicle hook closure design for the split at the neck that was late 15th or 16th century Irish. The rings were of thicker wire at the neck, shoulders and chest, graduating out to thinner diameters the farther twords the extremities ( arms ) it got. I've seen this construction method before on other European maille, the idea being that the limbs move alot, making them a harder target to hit solidly so the wire could be thinner there, thus saving weight ( I owned at one point a Georgian maille and plate coat built the same way ). Something about this shirt says Turkish to me, maybe its the higher neck line, or something about the beefy rings, but it strikes me as Turk. Just a gut feeling. It is in excellent condition!