Hauberk
Unknown Artist
1400s
Medium
riveted steel rings
Dimensions
w. 121.3 cm, d. 85.7 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
Accession Number
1916.1543
About this artwork
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.