Hauberk

c. 1400–50

Hauberk, c. 1400–50. Germany (?), first half 15th Century. Steel and brass rings, riveted with modern buckles and straps; overall: 76.2 cm (30 in.); sleeves: 43.2 cm (17 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of John L. Severance 1923.1120 Mail armor was the predominant form of metal body defense for European knights until about 1350. The term derives from the Old French word maille (mesh), implying a protective textile. Each mail garment was constructed of small linked metal rings and "woven" for a specific part of the body. Mail for the torso is a hauberk and typically reached mid-thigh. Mail was expensive to make and generally only available to warriors of noble birth unless it could be obtained as war booty.