A RARE MIDDLE EASTERN MAIL AND PLATE SHIRT, 18TH/19TH CENTURY, formed of heavy butted links of circular-section wire carrying iron plates of differing size, comprising a pair of large plates at the front each flanked on the outside by a pair of plates arranged vertically and joined by a rivetted brass plaque, a pair of side-plates on the left and the right, the back en suite and with a single central plate, skirt formed of two rows each of fifteen plates, four small shoulder plates, closed at the front by a pair of iron buckles on brass hasps (later leather), and the principle plates decorated throughout with boldly chiselled inscriptions, on a fabric-covered dummy, 81.0 cm, including dummy The inscriptions include: al-'izz li-mawla[na] (Glory to our Master), al-mawlawi al-amiri (The Lordly, the Amir), al-'alim al-'ali (?) (The Learned, the Exalted (?) ..), al-amir al-dawadar (?) (The Amir, the Dawadar (?), the officer of al-Salih, the Just (?)), al-amiri al-kabiri (?) al-ghazi (The Commander in Chief, the Ghazi). Other words appear to be parts of Arabic benedictions, which are less indicative of Mamluk influence, and suggest rather early-Ottoman or Iranian influence, including: al-nusra (Victory); al-thana' wa al-ra[ha] (Praise and ease). The form of this shirt is closely related to Moro examples of the period, typically constructed from coper alloy mail and horn plates. The inscriptions are related to those on earlier Ottoman and Mamluk armour.