Cuirass (<i>Char-aina</i>) with Mail Shirt

Cuirass (<i>Char-aina</i>) with Mail Shirt

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This exceptionally fine cuirass of crucible ("watered") steel is unusual in its use of octagonal plates decorated with fluting. The edges and central bosses are damascened in gold with Koranic inscriptions. Iranian and Indian cuirasses of this four-plate construction are known in Persian as char-a'ina, "four mirrors." The term suggests the talismanic value of the mirror for repelling evil.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cuirass (<i>Char-aina</i>) with Mail ShirtCuirass (<i>Char-aina</i>) with Mail ShirtCuirass (<i>Char-aina</i>) with Mail ShirtCuirass (<i>Char-aina</i>) with Mail ShirtCuirass (<i>Char-aina</i>) with Mail Shirt

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.