Thigh armor with four mirrors, Indo-Persian workmanship, circa 1650 Front view

Thigh armor typical of the Muslim world, which seems to have appeared in Iran at the beginning of the 15th century, Cahar Aïné rapidly pushing towards Ottoman Turkey and Mughal India after the accession of Emperor Akbar (1542–1605). Given the conditions, it is difficult to say for sure where our piece of armor originates from, even more so since the Arabic inscriptions inserted into the cartridges on each of the plates of the cuisse are in Persian characters.
Described as a cuisse with four mirrors, this references the metal plates that the sun reflected on, with the potential to blind enemy combatants. This Cahar Aïné is completed by a chainmail tunic to create a more supple set than that worn in Western Europe and increases the cavalryman's comfort. Slightly concave and with a wide neck, so that it can be positioned under the arms, the flanchards also allow significant freedom of movement, replicating the upper section of the breastplate which is widely open at the collar. The five sections of the thigh plate are connected by a system of hinges, while a row of large studs covers the attachment points between the two subdivisions of the breastplate.
However, more than its technical qualities, it is the cuisse's ornamentation, including a woven interior, which transforms it into a real work of art. Slightly hollowed between the pauldrons, the edges of the backplate are reinforced with a rim and brace cut-outs on its upper section. It contains an elegant outline of arabesques full of foliage, grapevines, and birds, framed by a wide strip of daisies and roses.