Mail and plate armour

Mail and plate armour (plated mail, plate mail, plated chainmail, splinted mail/chainmail) is a type of mail with embedded plates. This type of armour has been used by various civilizations throughout Central Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe, Iran, Indian subcontinent, Middle East,North Africa, Nusantara, and Vietnam.

Types In Russia, there are three known varieties of mail and plate armour. These were adopted from Persian, initially as Persian exports, and have Persian names. Behterets (also spelled Bekhterets; ), from Persian behter:Leonid A. Bobrov "Iron hawks from the territory of Maveranahr" (sets of the defensive equipment of the warriors of the Middle Asia and the neighbouring territories in 16th–17th centuries) small horizontal plates arranged in vertical rows without gaps, joined by rings, and embedded in mail. Yushman (), from Persian jawshan: long horizontal plates embedded in mail and resembling laminar armour (e.g. Roman lorica segmentata) Kalantar (): square plates embedded in mail, very similar to the Japanese karuta tatami-do. The major difference is that kalantar are not sewn to a cloth backing as Karuta tatami-do are.

According to BobrovЛеонид Бобров "Защитное вооружение среднеазиатского воина эпохи позднего средневековья" (Leonid Bobrov "Panoply of a Late Medieval Central Asian Warrior") [http://www.kyrgyz.ru/bbr/bobrov_03.html illustrations of different kind of mail and plate armour the first mail and plate armor appeared as cuisses in the Middle East, and were imported by the Golden Horde. Persian miniatures of the first half of 15th century show different combinations of mail and plate armour with lamellar armor and brigandines sometimes worn with a single round mirror plate as breast re-enforcement. The first representation of mail and plate armour as body protection is shown in Persian miniatures, which show mail and plate armour composed of relatively large plates, worn with laminar pauldrons and skirt (formed from long, horizontal plates), re-enforced by a large round mirror plate. The first representation of classic mail and plate armour (without lamellar elements) can be seen in Baghdad's miniature which dates from 1465. From the end of the 15th century mail and plate armour began to fully replace lamellar armours. The main difference between eastern European (Russian) and Oriental mail and plate armor (according to Bobrov) is that eastern European versions usually do not have sleeves, while Oriental versions have sleeves (the forearms were protected by vambraces). In a heavy version these sleeves have embedded plates, and a light version (more widely used) has sleeves entirely made from mail.

In Kitab al-Durra al-Maknuna (The Book of the Hidden Pearl) Jābir ibn Hayyān describes mail and plate armour for use in armours (jawasin), helmets (bid), and shields (daraq).Ahmad Y Hassan, The Colouring of Gemstones, the Purifying and Making of Pearls, and Other Useful Recipes

Indian mail was constructed with alternating rows of solid links and round riveted links and it was often integrated with plate protection (mail and plate armour). It was used by the Mughals, Rajputs, Marathas, Afghans, Sikhs, and by other regional powers. Mail and plate armor, called baju lamina, was also used by some of the people of Southeast Asia, namely the Bugis, Torajans and Malay.Albert G. van Zonneveld: Traditional weapons of the Indonesian archipelago. C. Zwartenkot Art Books, Leiden 2001, , p. 28. An early reference of this armor type was mentioned by the son of Alfonso de Albuquerque in the 16th century.

In Japan, mail and plate armour is called "karuta", small square or rectangular rawhide or metal plates with the gaps between them filled with mail.Ian Bottomley & A. P. Hopson, Arms and Armor of the Samurai: The History of Weaponry in Ancient Japan, pp. 88 & 91.

The first known use of iron plate mail in Korea was used by the Gaya Confederacy between 42 and 562 AD. A large number of iron and steel artifacts, including iron armor, iron horse armor such as helmets and bits, and smaller iron ingots (often used as money), have been found in the Daeseong-dong tombs in Gimhae. Gimhae (김해, 金海) literally means "Sea of Iron", as if the city's name symbolizes the abundance of iron in the area. Surviving examples are currently on display at the Gimhae National Museum in South Korea. The later Korean version of this armour is known as gyeongbeongap (경번갑/鏡幡甲). The most famous general who used this type of armor was General Chonji.

Gallery

Mail and plate armour

Bron en licentie