Harvard Art Museums > 1959.200.B: Breastplate Armor Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Breastplate (Unknown Artist) , 1959.200.B,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, May 13, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/215413. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1959.200.B People Unknown Artist Title Breastplate Classification Armor Work Type armor Date 18th century Places Creation Place: South Asia, India Period Mughal period Culture Indian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/215413 Physical Descriptions Medium Bands of floral and geometric designs in gold overlay Technique Kuftgari Dimensions 28.26 x 20.32 cm (11 1/8 x 8 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Edwin L. Beckwith Accession Year 1959 Object Number 1959.200.B Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description These plates of armor would have been worn over a chain mail shirt or other body armor, and would have been fastened together with leather straps attached to the metal buckles. The chest and back plates each have two additional buckles at the top for straps to go over the shoulders. All the plates were originally lined with velvet, although only a few scraps of fabric still remain attached to the rivets on the inside of the plates. This type of armor is called chahar aineh, meaning "four mirrors" in Persian. Its origin lies in shiny metal disks worn by the Mongols on the chest and back over their armor, both for additional protection and to ward off evil spirits (which were believed to be repelled by mirrors). Persian armor was influenced by Mongol traditions following the Mongol invasion of Iran in the 13th century, and the synthesis of styles which developed in Iran then spread to India. Notes from the Glory and Prosperity exhibition, Feb - June 2002. Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
