African cuirass?

[Panoleon]

A good suggestion. I have found this crocodile armour from Malaysia:

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/473722454563242022/

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Panoleon

A good suggestion. I have found this crocodile armour from Malaysia:

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/473722454563242022/

As LJ has noted in the previous post, there are clearly numerous cases of crocodile armor in other ethnographic cultures.
I had come across this armor from these regions which noted these crocodile vests (termed armor in the references even though with open front as in a vest) earlier as well, and it certainly offers more perspective.

Interestingly, these 'armor' vests of crocodile hide were made by the natives of island of Nias (in Indonesia) and termed 'baru oroba'. While the OLDER ones are made of crocodiile hide, as the population of crocodlles depleted, the natives began using metal (ZINC or IRON) acquired from the 'foreign' people, colonial traders and fashioned similar vests called 'oroba s'roli'.
which means 'iron vest'.

These armor were of course used as protection in warfare with the early ones, as well in degree with iron ones, but more modern, they became ceremonial items worn in traditional ceremonies and festivals .

It is interesting to see the similarities with the history of these particular examples of 'crocodile vest' in an entirely different cultural sphere, and their advent from warfare implement into traditional vestige used ceremonially.