African chain mail shirt

[estcrh]

This all goes back to Colins hauberk, with pictures showing both sides of the links we can probably figure out is it is round riveted or wedge riveted.

[Iain]

Just a note to the very good information already shared in this thread, I have not encountered a single source, in addition to what Erik has posted, that has identified riveted maille made in Africa. Bivar's Nigerian Panoply examines a few examples as well which were all imported.

To the best of my knowledge the vast majority of maille to be found in Nigeria/Cameroon and Sudan was imported via Egypt, given that this was mainly during the period of Ottoman rule in Egypt it stands to reason that vast majority of examples encountered will be of Ottoman manufacture (as vague as that label is at times!).

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Iain

Just a note to the very good information already shared in this thread, I have not encountered a single source, in addition to what Erik has posted, that has identified riveted maille made in Africa. Bivar's Nigerian Panoply examines a few examples as well which were all imported.

To the best of my knowledge the vast majority of maille to be found in Nigeria/Cameroon and Sudan was imported via Egypt, given that this was mainly during the period of Ottoman rule in Egypt it stands to reason that vast majority of examples encountered will be of Ottoman manufacture (as vague as that label is at times!).

Iain, here is a reference to mail being exported to Africa from Eqypt and European sources.

Warfare & Diplomacy in Pre-colonial West Africa, Sydney Smith
Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1989.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by estcrh

This all goes back to Colins hauberk, with pictures showing both sides of the links we can probably figure out is it is round riveted or wedge riveted.

? - colin posted pics in post no. 5 that appear to show round rivets.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by kronckew

? - colin posted pics in post no. 5 that appear to show round rivets.

Actually Colin's image only shows one side of the riveted link. The rivet heads that are showing do not have the appearance of typical round rivet heads.

Usually there would be much more of a dome or mushroom shape from the rivet being peened. If these are round riveted there will be a corresponding round rivet head on the opposite side, if the links are wedge riveted the opposite side will be flat and no rivet head will be showing.

The red arrows point to the rivet heads, the yellow arrows point to the solid links. The rivet head here are just not formed well enough to determine if they are actually round riveted.

Take a look at the Ottoman and Indian round riveted examples I have provided and compare the rivet heads to Colins hauberk and you will see the difference.