An aventail or camail is a flexible curtain of mail attached to the skull of a helmet that extends to cover at least the neck, but often also the throat and shoulders. Part or all of the face, with spaces to allow vision, could also be covered. Some featured a ventail which could be folded over the bottom face and vice versa, much in the same manner as a visor.
Camail with triangle ventail (mail flap) on a bascinet (ca. 1360) at the German Historical Museum.
Coppergate Helmet (ca. 750–800) with a neck aventail combined with cheek guards
Rus' nasal helm (11th century) with perforated nose guard for an enclosed aventail
Kievan Rus' spectacle helmet (1150–1250) with aventail fixed to the visor
Chain mail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and the 16th century AD in Europe, while it continued to be used in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as late as the 17th century. A coat of this armour is often called a hauberk or sometimes a byrnie.
A European mail shirt.
The Vachères warrior, 1st century BC, a statue depicting a Romanized Gaulish warrior wearing mail and a Celtic torc around his neck, bearing a Celtic-style shield.
Fresco of an ancient Macedonian soldier (thorakites) wearing mail armour and bearing a thureos shield
Mail armour and equipment of Polish medium cavalryman, from the second half of the 17th century
