iron cuirass

[Iain]

Originally Posted by TVV

Very nice Iain, congratulations. When it comes to mail hauberks, my understanding is that they were imported to the Sahel from the Middle Eats and Europe, and it may be tricky to find a North African one unless there is some very solid provenance.

Teodor

Hi Teodor,

most maille in the Sahel was sourced from Egypt, other Ottoman territories, Persia or of course to some degree Europe. Bivar's Nigerian Panoply illustrates this variety nicely. So you are of course correct, by and large maille wasn't made locally and what was, at least in the case of Sudan they were making butted and not riveted maille as I recall.

Managed to take some more images, still not the best I'm afraid but the weather is playing up and not being conducive to photo sessions!

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Iain

Hi Teodor,

most maille in the Sahel was sourced from Egypt, other Ottoman territories, Persia or of course to some degree Europe. Bivar's Nigerian Panoply illustrates this variety nicely. So you are of course correct, by and large maille wasn't made locally and what was, at least in the case of Sudan they were making butted and not riveted maille as I recall.

Managed to take some more images, still not the best I'm afraid but the weather is playing up and not being conducive to photo sessions!

Thats correct from what I have read and seen. Sudanese mail was butted, Khedival Egypt imported split ring mail from England in the mid to late 1800s. I believe all riveted mail would have been imported.

Good photos anyway.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by estcrh

Thats correct from what I have read and seen. Sudanese mail was butted, Khedival Egypt imported split ring mail from England in the mid to late 1800s. I believe all riveted mail would have been imported.

Good photos anyway.

Thanks, I'll do some detailed images of the riveting and materials when I get a chance.

I had thought there was a sketch in a period account showing one of these. However having looked in Barth, Denham and Nachtigal I'm drawing a blank.

[TVV]

Iain,

I believe the image you are looking for was originally made by Denham, but you can find it also in Spring or in Cairns' little book "The African Knights".

Teodor

[Iain]

Originally Posted by TVV

Iain,

I believe the image you are looking for was originally made by Denham, but you can find it also in Spring or in Cairns' little book "The African Knights".

Teodor

Hi Teodor,

Yep you are right, not sure why its not in Denham's two volumes of his travels but at least I found a copy. It provides a nice benchmark for us to assume these cuirasses were used at least in the 18th century as well if not further back.