Shirt of Mail and Plate

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mail shirts reinforced with steel or iron plates appear to have been developed first in Iran or Anatolia in the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century. Variations of mail-and-plate armor were worn subsequently throughout the Middle East by the Persians, Ottomans, and Mamluks. The style probably was introduced into India early in the Mughal period due to Ottoman influence on Mughal military practices. The armor is part of a large group of material that comes from the armory of the maharajas of Bikaner in Rajastan, northern India. An inscription inside one of the plates gives the name of Maharaja Anup Singh (reigned 1669–98) and the date samvat 1748 (A.D. 1691–2). Anup Singh was a general in the armies of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and led a series of campaigns in the Deccan in the 1680s and 1690s, including battles at Golconda in 1687 and Adoni in 1689. The date on the armor indicates that it must have been taken as booty during one of the Deccan campaigns.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art