African cuirass?

[Duccio]

At the British Museum there is a crocodile skin "cuirass", apparently used for cult purposes rather than for war, dating back to the Roman domination of Egypt (about 300 AD).

https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com...suit-of-armour

[fernando]

That would be the item you find in a zillion sources when googling on the subject. But doesn't seem to be one to help defining the the apparatus being discussed.

[Panoleon]

Thanks for al the reactions. I have made some detail pictures.
The model of the rivets don't look extremely old. I dont know when this type of rivets got in to use.
@ Kubur. Indeed. It looks like two round pieces are missing. Maybe some sort of atachment for leather slings to carry the cuirass. The grey stuff isn't glue, its some sort of molten metal. Probably lead.

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Panoleon

@ Kubur. Indeed. It looks like two round pieces are missing. Maybe some sort of atachment for leather slings to carry the cuirass. The grey stuff isn't glue, its some sort of molten metal. Probably lead.

I don't think that the missing round pieces were for attachment, they are too low and studs are placed above and will disturb any leather slings.

Have you seen the cross in the middle (studs) maybe it's a Christian thing...

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Kubur

I don't think that the missing round pieces were for attachment, they are too low and studs are placed above and will disturb any leather slings...

Tht's a good reasoning; but whatever devices they were, and for whatever reason, the owner found them dispensable. A riddle by itself.

[Will M]

This could be a prop from many years ago. I would like to mention that the aged reproductions you can find for sale online that are expensive will fool even some of the most knowledgeable collectors. This is just an example of how aged reproductions can appear: https://www.warhats.com/u-boat-caps.html#/

[Richard G]

This is not all that helpful, but seems to suggest crocodile skin armours at least existed.
Regards
Richard
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/484770347390098508/

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Richard G

This is not all that helpful, but seems to suggest crocodile skin armours at least existed.
Regards
Richard
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/484770347390098508/

Good shot, Richard,
That gives an impulse to look at these things with 'wider' eyes.
One that i would never buy as being the real stuff turned to be one made with the bony scales called 'scutes', situated in the crocodile postoccipital area.

.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Duccio

At the British Museum there is a crocodile skin "cuirass", apparently used for cult purposes rather than for war, dating back to the Roman domination of Egypt (about 300 AD).

https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com...suit-of-armour

This is exactly the circumstance I was referring to, 'cults' , These cults remained quite active well into the 20th century.