Aventail

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This article is about the piece of medieval armor. For the network technology company, see Aventail Corporation.
An early aventail guarded the wearer's head, neck, and chin between a mail shirt and a helmet.
An early aventail guarded the wearer's head, neck, and chin between a mail shirt and a helmet.

An aventail or camail is a flexible curtain of chainmail on a helmet, that extends to cover the neck and shoulders. The mail could be removed for cleaning or storage, and attached to the helm through use of a leather cord that was threaded through brass rings at the edge of the helm. Aventails were most commonly seen on bascinets in the 14th century and served as a replacement for a chainmail coif. Some aventails were decorated with edging in brass or bronze links, or dagged edges. By the late 15th century, the Aventail had replaced the chainmail coif completely. Only those who were poor or who were collectors of the sort had a chainmail coif.

Aventails were typically attached to the helmet via small staples known as vervelles.

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Components of medieval armour
Head
Armet · Barbute · Bascinet · Hounskull · Burgonet · Cervelliere · Close helm · Great helm · Mail coif · Nasal Helm · Sallet · Spangenhelm
Visor · Falling buffe · Nossel
Neck
Aventail · Bevor · Gorget  · Pixane
Torso
Brigandine · Cuirass · Culet · Fauld · Hauberk · Codpiece · Lance rest
Arms
Legs
Chausses · Cuisses · Greave · Poleyn · Sabaton · Schynbald · Tasset
Tonnlets · Bases (both used for tournament)
Component pieces
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