The Armour Archive

I noticed on some maille shirts and hauberks in Cleveland,- and some pieces in European museums, have the front open, and buckeled. At what time did this become common?

Raibeart:

It never was really common in Western Europe at all.

The examples I've always seen were either 14th century Mamluk, Ottoman Turkish or other Islamic influenced shirts. Those are more commonly seen with plates added to the front section, and an eye-hook style closure.
If there are examples extant to Western Europe, I don't know of them.

At least three of the Huaberks in the Churburg collection dated to the XVth Century and attributed to European manufacture open down the front. There is at least one more that also opens down the front but it's considered by the author to be of possible Turkish origin and dated to the XVIth cent.

So. XI century Norman is OUT! Thanks guys and I appoligize for getting this in the wrong section.