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Timo Nieminen




Location: Brisbane, Australia
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PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 2:42 pm    Post subject: Ottoman armoured kaftan         Reply with quote

With recent discussion of armoured kaftans, this might be of interest.

This is an armoured kaftan for a Janissary officer, late 17th century. Red quilted velvet, closed by a single tie and a single neck button.

The armour is fine rivetted mail, with some butted sections. Arms are armoured to the elbows, the back from neck to small of back, and the front is armoured a little lower than the back. The black and white photo shows the inside, and the bottom of the mail at the front can be seen.

This was up for auction at Sotheby's sale 6655, New York, 1995 (lot 1340), but did not sell. The description notes that there was only one other known made-for-warfare Ottoman armoured kaftan, in Russia.



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kaftan1340sm.jpg
Armoured kaftan, Sotheby's sale 6655, lot 1340. Front.

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kaftan1340bwsm.jpg
Armoured kaftan, Sotheby's sale 6655, lot 1340. Inside. (bw)

"In addition to being efficient, all pole arms were quite nice to look at." - Cherney Berg, A hideous history of weapons, Collier 1963.
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Dan Howard




Location: Maitland, NSW, Australia
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PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 3:13 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Were they still being called "kazaghands" that late?
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Bennison N




Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 3:34 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Dan Howard wrote:
Were they still being called "kazaghands" that late?


That's a good question. As far as I can tell, even "kaftan" is an Turkish version of a Persian word.

So they might've had another word altogether, OR used the same word.

"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance" - Confucius

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Last edited by Bennison N on Wed 01 Aug, 2012 3:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bennison N




Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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PostPosted: Wed 01 Aug, 2012 3:54 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

And then Persians (well, Iranians...) call Kaftans "khalat" anyway...

They could be called anything.

"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance" - Confucius

अजयखड्गधारी
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Timo Nieminen




Location: Brisbane, Australia
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PostPosted: Thu 02 Aug, 2012 6:19 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Bennison N wrote:
Dan Howard wrote:
Were they still being called "kazaghands" that late?


That's a good question. As far as I can tell, even "kaftan" is an Turkish version of a Persian word.

So they might've had another word altogether, OR used the same word.


I've only ever seen Ottoman ones called "armo(u)red kaftan", so I don't even know the modern Turkish term.

The auction catalogue description was specific about the "made for warfare" part. There appear to be some "civilian" armoured kaftans that have survived (anti-assassination wear for sultans?). While the generic term "armoured kaftan" covers both civilian and military versions, might these have had more specific names to differentiate between them?

"In addition to being efficient, all pole arms were quite nice to look at." - Cherney Berg, A hideous history of weapons, Collier 1963.
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