# Mail Shirt

- By: Western European; probably German
- Date: 1550/75
- Medium: Steel, iron, and brass
- Classification: Armor
- Dimensions: At shoulders: W.: 67.3 cm (26 1/2 in.); H.: 91.4 cm (36 in.)
- Culture: Germany
- Credit line: George F. Harding Collection
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/106382)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/100269f7-d9e3-a8d3-4386-5f18ca89536c/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Tailored to fit a sizable man, this mail shirt has heavier rings placed strategically to protect the neck and chest. The form-fitting sleeves billow out over the elbow to increase mobility. Shirts like this could have been used for fencing practice or worn for protection from bandits or assassins while traveling.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0