The Gauntlet is a piece of protective armor for the hand, dating back to the 12th century. The first gauntlets were leather covered gloves with an unarticulated metal back. They evolved from the chain mail bag, which , in the 12th century, terminated at the sleeves of the hauberk. The gauntlet of the 14th century had separate, but unjointed fingers. This gauntlet was superseded by the 'mitten'.