Body Armour
early 17th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The use of coats made from a series of overlapping iron plates stitched together is an ancient technique in Tibet and Central Asia. Leather lamellar armour fragments have been found in Central Asia dating to the 5th century CE and the Sasanian Persians used such armour as early as the 3rd century CE. Tibetans may have borrowed the technique from either source or later from the Mongols, who ruled Tibet from the mid-13th until the mid-14th century.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Iron plates sewn on leather; applied padded cloth |
| Brief description | Lamellar coat; Armour, leather steel, Tibet, anterior 17th century |
| Physical description | Coat of Scale-armour of "brigardine" type, consisting of thin plates of iron sewn as pendants (in twelve rows) on a leather jacket by means of leather thongs. The coat, which is sleevelesss, has an applied deep lengthening-piece or border of padded cloth (formely covered with leopard-skin). |
| Credit line | Purchased from the Baillie Gallery |
| Object history | Purchased from the Baillie Gallery. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. RP 1910- 2707M |
| Summary | The use of coats made from a series of overlapping iron plates stitched together is an ancient technique in Tibet and Central Asia. Leather lamellar armour fragments have been found in Central Asia dating to the 5th century CE and the Sasanian Persians used such armour as early as the 3rd century CE. Tibetans may have borrowed the technique from either source or later from the Mongols, who ruled Tibet from the mid-13th until the mid-14th century. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.74-1910 |
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| Record created | November 8, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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