Cleveland Museum of Art

Hauberk

Date

1400s

Medium

riveted steel rings; close woven

Culture

European, 15th century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

By the early 1400s the hauberk was being worn as an accessory to supplement full or partial plate armor. It offered a secondary level of protection for areas not fully covered by plate armor, such as the armpit and groin. The making of chainmail involved the linking of thousands of small rings of steel. Mail provided excellent defense against the sword cut, though only limited defense against crushing blows from weapons like the mace or the battle axe.

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