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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.
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Details
- Title: Hauberk
- Date Created: 1400s
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 121.3 x 85.7 cm (47 3/4 x 33 3/4 in.)
- Provenance: Frank Gair Macomber; Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Arms and Armor
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.1543
- Medium: riveted steel rings
- Fun Fact: Although this hauberk weighs about 21 pounds, the even distribution of the weight makes it easy to wear.
- Department: Medieval Art
- Culture: European, 15th century
- Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
- Collection: MED - Arms & Armor
- Accession Number: 1916.1543
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