Mail Shirt

1550/75

Western European; probably German

Tailored to fit a sizable man, this mail shirt has heavier rings placed strategically to protect the neck and chest. The form-fitting sleeves billow out over the elbow to increase mobility. Shirts like this could have been used for fencing practice or worn for protection from bandits or assassins while traveling.

Status: On View, Gallery 239
Department: Applied Arts of Europe

Title: Mail Shirt
Origin: Germany
Date: Made 1550–1575
Medium: Steel, iron, and brass
Dimensions: W. at shoulders: 67.3 cm (26 1/2 in.); L. 91.4 cm (36 in.); Wt. 16 lb. 13 oz.
Credit Line: George F. Harding Collection
Reference Number: 1982.2245
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/106382/manifest.json

Walter Karchieski, “Arms and Armor in the Art Institute of Chicago” (Art Institute of Chicago/Little, Brown, and Company, 1995), pp. 16-17 (ill.)

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