Mail Shirt

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is part of a small group of inscribed mail shirts constructed of riveted and inscribed iron-alloy and copper-alloy links, examples of which are preserved in the Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The links are each stamped on the obverse with the names of Allah and the five leading imams of the Shi’a (i.e. Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn), who are also collectively known as The Five (Panj tan) or the People of the Cloak (Ahl al-Kisa). They are plain on the reverse. The shirt is believed to have been used by the sculptor Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (1876–1973) while modeling her monumental equestrian bronze statue of El Cid (cast in 1927), which still stands today on the grounds of The Hispanic Society, New York.

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