Cleveland Museum of Art

Hauberk

Date

1400s

Medium

riveted steel rings

Culture

European, 15th century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A hauberk is a mail shirt commonly extending to mid-thigh. Mail, a type of armor made from interlocking iron or steel rings, was effective at protecting the wearer from the sharp cuts of a sword, and yet was less useful against crushing impacts from blunt weapons. A hauberk would have been worn over an aketon, a padded protective garment. Although this hauberk weighs about 21 pounds, the even distribution of the weight makes it easy to wear.

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