laminar armor

Laminar armour (from - layer), sometimes referred to as "banded mail", is an armour made from horizontal overlapping rows or bands of solid armour plates, as opposed to lamellar armour which is made from individual armor scales laced together to form a solid-looking strip of armor. Prominent examples of such armour are lorica segmentata and certain versions of samurai armour. Less known examples were present in Asia from Iran to Mongolia, including Central Asia. In the 16th century laminar and lamellar armour was superseded by plated mail in the Middle East and Central Asia, remaining mainly in Mongolia. However, laminar armor did appear briefly in some form in Europe during the 16th to the 17th century with the main feature that distinguished it from other forms of laminar armor being the metal strips being fastened using sliding rivets. This was known as anima and was invented in Italy. Notable examples include the Earl of Pembroke's Armour and the armor worn by the Polish hussars. The technique was also used to armor the neck, upper limbs, and hips as seen in the Almain rivet and the zischagge.