Known variously as the gambeson, aketon, arming doublet, or padded jack, this quilted defensive garment was a vital part of medieval equipment from around the 10th century onward, worn either as standalone armour or beneath mail and plate. Built from multiple layers of linen or wool stitched together by quilting, with stuffing that varied from scrap cloth to horsehair, a sufficiently thick gambeson offered genuinely excellent protection, absorbing and distributing the force of blows while preventing the chafing that bare mail or plate would otherwise cause against the skin. The word aketon likely derives from the Arabic al-qutn, “the cotton,” reflecting the garment’s origins and preferred stuffing material.
This reproduction recreates the aketon specifically, the quilted jacket most often worn directly under armour, its name likely derived from the Arabic al-qutn for cotton, its traditional stuffing material.
Deepeeka’s reproduction recreates that essential piece of medieval arming wear, part of our historical clothing range.
