Detail of Chain Mail Shirt

Chainmail was used throughout Europe during the Medieval period and would have been worn by Scottish Knights.  It was made by first coiling steel wire around a rod or 'mandril' and cutting it with a sharp chisel into rings. These were then pushed through a tapering former (a steel block with a narrowing hole) to overlap the ends which were then flattened and pierced. The mailmaker then interlinked them with four others and rivited them, once enough of them were linked it would form the mail fabric. Eventually heavy plate armourc to cover the mail was introduced because although it could protect against sword blows etc., it could be pierced by arrows.
Object no :
EAAM021n
Collection :
Creator :
NA
Place of Production :
Possibly Turkey
Dimensions :
NA
Materials :
iron or steel
Location :
NA
Accession number :
MA/A62
Copyright :
East Ayrshire Council
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