Body armour in four sections (chahar-aineh), steel with wool and silk quilted padding, and gold kuftkari overlay decoration with pious Arabic inscriptions in the centre, probably Iran, c.1600-1750.

Body armour for the torso in four sections (chahar aina)

Bought from the collection of Gaston de Saint-Maurice (1831-1905) in 1884. Saint-Maurice displayed his extensive art collection at the 1878 Paris exhibition, in a gallery entitled L'Egypte des Khalifes. This was part of an official sequence of displays celebrating the history of Egypt, presented by the Egyptian state at this international event. Saint-Maurice held a position at the Khedival court, and had lived in Cairo in 1868-1878. Following the exhibition, Saint-Maurice offered his collection for sale to the South Kensington Museum (today the V&A).

This classic four plate Indo-Persian type of body armour was intended to be worn over other armour to provide additional protection for the torso. Its versatility led to almost continued use well into the middle of the 19th century. The degree of decoration on the plates reflected the wealth and status of the wearer.

973C-1884