Chain mail chausses, 8 mm

Product description

Chainmail chausses were the standard form of metal leg protection in Europe from the 9th century until the early 14th century. They offered flexible protection against most weapons but were gradually replaced by iron plate armor from the second half of the 13th century. The earliest examples date from the 9th century, such as a chainmail-covered foot in the Kyulevcha catacombs in Bulgaria. Byzantine art depicts calf-length chainmail chausses in Tokali Kilise (10th century) and Karanlik Kilise (11th century). Full chainmail chausses were presumably already in use at the beginning of the 9th century and spread via the Danube or Italy, as can also be seen in the Stuttgart Psalter. One of the most famous depictions in Western Europe appears on the Bayeux Tapestry (1066–1083), where William the Conqueror and other knights are shown wearing them. Around 1200, chainmail chausses were almost standard equipment for knights and men-at-arms.

Made from 1.6 mm thick butted round rings with an inner diameter of 8 mm, the rings are woven by hand in a four-in-one pattern. They measure 118 cm in length, with an upper width of 60 cm and a lower width of 46 cm, and weigh about 6.4 kg.