Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
Well, now we're reaching a different arguement. Given the fragmented nature of metalworking skills in antiquity, there's a reasonable possibility one smith did it one time and no one could copy it. Plutarch records that Demetrios had a unique piece of body armour, one of only two in existence. Not a reliable source, granted, but still indicative of the possibilty.
But Demetrius' cuirass was one of a very unique few because ironworking was just developing to a stage where such armours could be made (so, for instance, the iron cuirass from Vergina was a very rare and, undoubtedly, expensive luxury item in its owner's day). Soon after the time of the Diadochoi, iron body armour begins to appear more and more, as one would expect.

In this case, however, the mail cuirasses which we find later are both cruder and much slower in appearing. That's why this item being a mail cuirass is so unlikely (beyond any arguments about the figurine itself) - it is so out of place in the (otherwise coherent) grand scheme of the development and spread of mail throughout Europe that it would require a total rethinking of its spread.

Though I'd rather assume that if he indeed wears mail sleeves and a long shirt, those are not in one piece but three separate bits; the sleeves would probably be attached similarly to the... whatchamacallthose shoulder-guard pteruges... pinions ? which IIRC aren't fixed to the cuirass either.
Those shoulder pteruges don't really have a name that I'm aware of, but evidence points to them being fixed to the cuirass, as can be seen on trophies and weapons reliefs (with that from Pergamon being the best example).