African chain mail shirt

[Iain]

Just a note to the very good information already shared in this thread, I have not encountered a single source, in addition to what Erik has posted, that has identified riveted maille made in Africa. Bivar's Nigerian Panoply examines a few examples as well which were all imported.

To the best of my knowledge the vast majority of maille to be found in Nigeria/Cameroon and Sudan was imported via Egypt, given that this was mainly during the period of Ottoman rule in Egypt it stands to reason that vast majority of examples encountered will be of Ottoman manufacture (as vague as that label is at times!).

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Iain

Just a note to the very good information already shared in this thread, I have not encountered a single source, in addition to what Erik has posted, that has identified riveted maille made in Africa. Bivar's Nigerian Panoply examines a few examples as well which were all imported.

To the best of my knowledge the vast majority of maille to be found in Nigeria/Cameroon and Sudan was imported via Egypt, given that this was mainly during the period of Ottoman rule in Egypt it stands to reason that vast majority of examples encountered will be of Ottoman manufacture (as vague as that label is at times!).

Iain, here is a reference to mail being exported to Africa from Eqypt and European sources.

Warfare & Diplomacy in Pre-colonial West Africa, Sydney Smith
Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1989.