Byzantine and Christian Museum :: Permanent exhibition .::. II. The Byzantine World .::. II.1. Authority and administration
Armour and helmet (00866)
Exhibition room: II.1 Authority and administration
Date: 13th - 15th c.
Dimensions (cm): 135 x 60
The metal accoutrements are for a mounted warrior, and are probably of Eastern provenance. The iron armour is in the form of a chain mail tunic with long sleeves and fastens at the chest with small metal hooks. The bronze helmet consists of a hemispherical skull cap, decorated on the top with a metal knob, while from the lower part hangs more chain mail to protect the neck and the sides of the head. The two pieces of the armour are not part of a set, as is evident from their use of different materials and the similar but different techniques of construction. The two pieces may nevertheless have been combined from the moment they were first made and used or perhaps later.