Armor is used to protect human body in armed conflictappliances, also calledan armor、Armor。Helmets and helmets refer to the armor used to protect the head;Armor and armor are the armor to protect the body, and are mainly used to protect the important organs of the chest and abdomen.
From the unearthed objects, ancient war armor was mostly made of leather, such as rhinoceros and sharks, and painted with color;The leather armor consists of a body, a sleeve and a skirt;The stitching method of nail plate: horizontally, the left plate is pressed against the right plate, and vertically, the lower plate is pressed against the upper plate;The armour was also made up of eighteen pieces of armour.
interpretation: The protective clothing of ancient soldiers.Helmet;A, protect the body.It is made of metal, rattan or leather.
source：《Water Margin》The 34th time: "All heroes, since you are good friends, do not kill Qin Ming, but return my armor, horses and weapons to the state."
In addition to leather armour, there were also "training armour" and "iron armour" in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.Armor practice is early, and most of them are made of elevator silk clip thick cotton, which belongs to the category of cloth armour.Iron armor appeared in the middle of the Warring States Period. Its predecessor is bronze armor, which is a relatively simple beast face strong chest armor.The armor in the Warring States Period is usually made of iron plates in the shape of fish scales or willow leaves, which are combined by wearing and assembling.In ancient times, the so-called "golden armor" was found in both the East and the West, which was just gilded by nobles to show their status.As for the gold wire armour, the one similar to its protection principle should be the lock armour, which belongs to flexible armour. Its advantages are good air permeability, small absolute weight, and its disadvantages are poor protection ability. It cannot withstand strong blows and stabs, and can be pierced with one shot.
Bright armor
Mingguang Armor is a kind of armor in ancient China. There is an oval shape on the chest and back armor, called the metal plate of the heart guard.Improve the defense of chest and back.The name comes from the goggles.The origin of the word "bright armor" is said to be related to the round shield on the chest and back.Because most of the round guards are made of copper, iron and other metals, and the polished aurora looks like a mirror.Wearing bright armor on the battlefield will emit dazzling "bright light" due to the sun's radiation, hence the name.There are many styles of this armor, and the complexity is different: some just add two round guards at the front and back on the basis of the crotch, some are equipped with shoulder protection, knee protection, and complex several shoulder protection.The body armor is big and long enough to reach the hips, and the waist is tied with a belt.
Tang Dynasty Bright Light Armor
Clavicle armor
The lock armour was also called "ring lock armour" in ancient China.Generally, the clothes are made of iron wire or iron ring, and each ring is buckled with the other four rings, like a net lock.It was introduced into China from the Western Regions, and the earliest record can be found in the Armor Table given by the former emperor to his ministers.The Record of Lu Guang in the Book of Jin described this kind of armor as "like a ring lock, which cannot be shot into." It was very popular in the Tang Dynasty, and it was listed as one of the 13 types of armor, which was still used in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Tang Song armor
After Sui and Tang dynasties, the style of armor began to close like the classic armor of Song Dynasty in ancient China.Great attention is paid to the decoration of armor, not only the shoulder swallowing is added to the shirt, but also the belly swallowing is added to the chest armor.These decorations are derived from foreign styles and gradually evolved into Chinese unique cultural colors.Tang style armour has a wide variety of shapes.In the late Tang Dynasty, the armor also changed from pompous to military purpose, highlighting military functions. In the Song Dynasty, the Chinese classic armor style was basically shaped.
Bu Ren Jia in Song Dynasty and Tie Fu Tu in Jin Dynasty
Evolution of Chinese armor
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Armor of the Shang Dynasty
The clothes, clothes and shoes of the warriors of the Shang Dynasty were restored according to the bronze statues unearthed from the sacrificial rites of the Shang Dynasty in Guanghan and the carved figures on the Zhang lines beside the stones. The Zhou was the material objects unearthed from the Shang Tomb in Liugan County, Jiangxi Province, and the Jia referred to the ruins of Yin Ruins in Anyang.
Armor of the Shang Dynasty
Armor of the Western Zhou Dynasty
The "training armour" worn by the warriors in the Western Zhou Dynasty was mostly made of horse drawn silk sandwiched with thick cotton, belonging to the category of cloth armour.
Armor of the Western Zhou Dynasty
Warring States armor
The armor in the Warring States Period was mostly made of cowhide. The general's armor was made of cowhide or bronze, and the soldiers' helmets were made of cowhide. In the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period, iron armor and metal armor appeared. By the Warring States Period, metal armor was widely used.The armors of the "soldiers" in the State of Qin are made of iron, the State of Zhao is made of copper or iron and metal, the State of Wei, the State of Chu, and the State of Qi in the Western Zhou Dynasty are all made of metal armor, while the State of Korea and the State of Yan are made of cowhide and rattan, and only a few of them are made of metal.
Warring States armor
Qin Dynasty armor
Restoration of the General's Clothing in the Qin Dynasty This armor was worn by the general who commanded the battle.The front and back of the chest are not decorated with nails, but are painted with geometric colored patterns, which seems to be made of a kind of hard brocade. It may also be made of leather and painted with patterns.The shape of the armour garment is sharp at the front and straight at the back. It is also made of brocade or leather with geometric patterns.
Restoration of General's Armor and Clothing in Qin Dynasty
Warrior's Armor of Qin Dynasty
This is the most common armor style among the Qin Terracotta Warriors, and it is the clothing of ordinary soldiers. This kind of armor has the following characteristics: the armor on the chest is the upper one pressing the lower one, and the armor on the abdomen is the lower one pressing the upper one, so as to facilitate activities.From the middle line of the chest and abdomen, all nails are stacked from the middle to both sides, and the combination of shoulder nails is the same as that of the abdomen.The nail plates around the shoulder, abdomen and neck are connected with nail straps. All nail plates are provided with nails. The number of nails varies from two, three or four, and the maximum number is no more than six.The length of the armour coat is equal in front and back.They are all 64 cm long, and their hems are generally round, with no additional edges around them.
Warrior's Armor of Qin Dynasty
Armor of Western Han Dynasty
During the Western Han Dynasty, iron armor began to be popular and gradually became the main equipment in the army. This kind of iron armor was called "Xuan armor" at that time.The military uniform of the Western Dynasty is similar to that of the Qin Dynasty in many aspects. The military wore Zen clothes and trousers regardless of rank.The colors of military uniforms in the Han Dynasty were red and crimson.In the Han Dynasty, the army was generally equipped with "ring head iron sabre".
Restoration of Knights in the Western Han Dynasty Holding Iron Dishes
Armor of Western Han Dynasty
Wei Jin armor
Restoration of military uniforms in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.The left side is an iron sleeve armoring, which is a kind of short sleeve with chest and back connected, and is woven with fish scale armor. The shape of the sleeve armoring is very similar to that of the iron armoring in the Western Han Dynasty. It is hard to wear from the head.The helmet basically follows the shape of the Eastern Han Dynasty, with tassels on the top of the helmet.On the right are military uniforms of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, mainly robes and pleated trousers.The robe is knee length with wide sleeves.The pleats are as short as two crotches, with tight small sleeves. The robe and pleats are generally straight necklines, with the right lapel, but there is also a round collar.
Wei Jin armor
Armor of the Northern and Southern Dynasties
The restoration of warriors in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.In the picture, the front row is a two crotch armor, which is up to the knee. Above the waist, the chest and back armor is made of small pieces of armor, and some of them are made of large pieces of armor. The front and back of the armor are two pieces, and the shoulders and sides are tied with belts.In the picture, the armor worn by the two people in the back row is related to the round shield on the chest and back of the bright armor.Because this kind of round protector is mostly made of copper, iron and other metals, and the polished aurora looks like a mirror (heart guard).
Armor of the Northern and Southern Dynasties
Sui Dynasty Armor
The most common armors used in the Sui Dynasty were Liangguoshan and Mingguang.The structure of the Liangzhaokai is better than that of the previous generation, and there are also some small changes in its shape.Generally, the small nail piece weave in the shape of full scale of body armor has been extended to the abdomen, replacing the original leather nail skirt.The lower hem of the body armor is crescent shaped and lotus shaped, which is used to protect the abdomen.These improvements greatly enhance the defense below the waist.The shape of Mingguangkai is basically the same as that of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, except that the leg skirt becomes longer and more gorgeous.The military uniform of the Sui Dynasty was a round collar gown.
Sui Dynasty Armor
Tang Dynasty Armor
The armour of the Tang Dynasty is mainly made of iron and leather.In addition to iron armour and leather armour, silk cloth armour is commonly used in Tang Dynasty armour.Silk armour is armour made of silk cloth and other textiles. It is light in structure and beautiful in appearance, but has no defense ability. Therefore, it can not be used in actual combat, but can only be used as a dress for military officers in peacetime or for honor guards.The armor and military uniform in the early Tang Dynasty basically followed the style and shape of the Sui Dynasty.After Zhenguan, a series of clothing system reforms were carried out, and military uniforms with Tang style gradually formed.Zhi Zetian and Wu Zhou Dynasty, the national strength was at its peak and the world was flat. The luxury of the upper class group was becoming more and more serious. Most of the military uniforms and armors were separated from the function of use and evolved into beautiful and luxurious ceremonial clothes with decoration as the main part.“An Shi Rebellion”Later, it returned to the practical state conducive to war, especially the armor, which had basically formed a fixed shape in the late Tang Dynasty《Tang Liudian》It is recorded that there are 13 kinds of armour, including Mingguang, Guangyao, Xilin, Shanwen, Bird Hammer, White Cloth, Zaojuan, Bubei, Infantry, Leather Armor, Wood Armor, Suozi, and Horse Armor.Among them, Mingguang, Guangyao, Suozi, Shanwen, Bird Hammer and Fine Scale Armor are iron armor, and the last three are named after the style of armor plate.Leather armour, wooden armour, white cloth, Zaojuan, and cloth back are named after manufacturing materials.Among armors, bright armor is still the most common.
Tang Dynasty Armor
Tang Dynasty Armor
Five generation armor
During the Five Dynasties, the system of the end of the Tang Dynasty was basically followed, and the Mingguang armor had basically withdrawn from the historical stage. The armor was all made of armor pieces, and became a two piece suit in shape.Sleeves and shoulder protectors are combined into one piece;The chest back armor is connected with the leg guards to form another piece, which is tied back and forth with two shoulder straps, and is sleeved on the back and shoulder guards.The other five generations continued to use leather armour, which was made of large pieces of leather, and wore handrails and neck protectors.
Five generation armor
Song Dynasty armor
In terms of weightStep armour(Infantry armor) is the heaviest armor in Chinese history, according to《Master of Martial Arts》It is recorded that the Buren Armor in the Northern Song Dynasty is made of iron armor leaf with leather strips or nails, which is a typical armour.In the 12th century, the weight of European lock armour was only 15 kg, and the Gothic full body armour in the 15th century was only 20 kg.Although the heaviest armor in the 17th century reached 42 kg, three quarters of the ordinary heavy armor was only in the range of 20-30 kg, and its protection range included the whole body. In terms of the protection range, it was the Chinese armor closest to the European heavy armor, but it did not reach the airtight protection level of the European heavy armor.
According to the provisions of the fourth year of Shaoxing in the Song Dynasty (1134), the walking beetle was composed of 1825 nail leaves, with a total weight of 29KG. At the same time, the protective force could be improved by increasing the number of nail leaves, but the weight would further increase.For this reason, the emperor himself ordered that the infantry armor should be limited to 29.8KG.Since then, the armor weight of the long shooter has been set at 32-35KG;Since archers are often involved in close combat, their armor is set at 28-33KG;The crossbow shooter's armor is 22-27KG.Legend has it that the gilded armour worn by Song Taizu weighs 60 kilograms.At the same time, the armor type of European cavalry was mainly lock armor, which did not reach such weight.
About ten years ago, Shaoxing was the strongest military in the Song Dynasty.Famous generalYue Fei、Han ShizhongHe led heavy infantry mainly equipped with iron armour, long spears and crossbows, and repeatedly defeated the cavalry of the Jin Dynasty of the Jurchen nationality with a dense lineup.Including weapons, the heavy infantry load of the Song army was up to 40-50KG at that time. Due to the heavy equipment, mobility was affected. For example, in the battle of Jiangao in the eleventh year of Shaoxing (1141), the Song army with infantry as its main force was too heavily armored, and with too large weapons, the load was too heavy, so it was unable to completely annihilate the defeated cavalry of the Jin Dynasty.
Song Dynasty armor
Liao Dynasty armor
According to the Liao History, when the Liao Dynasty was in the Khitan State, the army had already used armor, mainly in the form of the late Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, with the Song Dynasty as the main style.The upper structure of the armor is exactly the same as that of the Song Dynasty, except that the leg skirt is obviously shorter than that of the Song Dynasty, and the front and back two square pieces of Uighur tail armor cover the leg skirt, maintaining the characteristics of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.It seems that the armor belly protector is hung in front of the belly with a belt and then fixed with a belt, which is the same as the leather armor in the Song Dynasty. The large round protector in the middle of the chest is unique to the Liao Dynasty.In addition to iron armour, leather armour was also used in the Liao Dynasty.The Qidan military officers' clothing can be divided into two types: public clothes and regular clothes. The style is not significantly different. They are all collar and narrow sleeve gowns, which are the same as the general men's clothing. The regular clothes may be slightly tighter than the official clothes.Both can be used as military uniforms.
Liao Dynasty armor
Xixia armor
The armor worn by the warriors of the Western Xia Dynasty is the whole body armor. The armor and armor are the same as those of the Song Dynasty. The body armor is like two crotch armor, reaching to the knee. The short armor is mainly used to show that the manufacture of armor is behind the Central Plains.The official uniforms of the Western Xia Dynasty can also be used as military uniforms, like the Khitan uniforms of the Liao Dynasty. There are five obvious differences between the two.Because the feudal degree of Xixia society is not very deep, the relationship between people is still relatively equal, so the hierarchy concept in clothing is not so strong.
Xixia armor
Jin Dynasty armor
In the early Jin Dynasty, the armor was only half body, with knee pads underneath;Before and after the middle period, the armor was quickly completed. The armor had long and wide skirts, whose protective area was almost the same as that of the Song Dynasty, and the form was also influenced by the Northern Song Dynasty.The military robes of the Jin Dynasty were with a collar and narrow sleeves, reaching to the feet;The military robe can also be worn over the armor.
Jin Dynasty armor
Armor of the Yuan Dynasty
The armors of the Yuan Dynasty include willow leaf armour and iron compass armour.The inner layer of the iron ring armour is made of cowhide, and the outer layer is iron mesh armour. The armour pieces are connected like fish scales. The arrows cannot penetrate. It is extremely exquisite.In addition, there are leather armour, cloth armour, etc.The military uniform has only one kind of national costume, that is, Zhisun uniform. The style of the uniform is tight and narrow sleeved. There are two kinds of uniform: hand collar and square collar, long and short. The long one reaches below the knee, and the short one only reaches the knee.There is also a kind of braid lined jacket that is identical to the quality sun clothing, except that the hem is wide and folded with close pleats. In addition, a wide apron made of braid lines is sewn at the waist, and some are also nailed with buttons, commonly known as "braid lined jacket", or "waist lined jacket".This kind of costume is also the Mongolian military uniform of the Yuan Dynasty, which can be worn by military generals and schools, palace guards and warriors.
Armor of the Yuan Dynasty
Ming Dynasty armor
There was a kind of fat coat for military officers in the Ming Dynasty, which was made of "knee length, narrow sleeves, and cotton inside". The color was red, so it was also called "red fat coat".Knights should wear more pairs of lapels to ride on horses.The combat handrail is mostly made of copper and iron, and seldom of leather.The armor worn by the general is also made of copper and iron. The shape of the armor plate is mostly "mountain" pattern, which is precise and easy to wear.Soldiers wear chain mail armour. Below the waist, they are also equipped with mesh skirts and mesh pants. Their feet wear mesh boots.
Ming Dynasty armor
Qing Dynasty armor
The general helmets of the Qing Dynasty, whether made of iron or leather, were painted on the surface.There is a beam on the front, back, left and right of the helmet, with an eyebrow covering protruding in the middle of the forehead. There is a dancing engine and a covering bowl on it. On the bowl is a helmet plate shaped like a wine cup. In the middle of the helmet plate is an iron or copper tube with a tassel gun, carved feathers or otter tail.The back hanging silk collar, neck protection and ear protection are embroidered with patterns and decorated with copper or iron bubble nails.Armor is divided into armor and clothing.A shoulder protector is arranged on the armour shoulder, and an armpit protector is arranged under the shoulder protector;In addition, wear a piece of metal goggles on the chest and back, and wear a trapezoid belly guard at the seam of the front under the mirror, called "front shield".The left side of the waist is equipped with a "left shield", and the right side is not equipped with a shield. It is reserved for wearing a bow and arrow pouch.Waist is divided into left and right pieces, which are tied at the waist when wearing.In the middle between the two skirts, there is a tiger head covering the knee with the same material.
Qing Dynasty armor
Japanese armor
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The earliest shaped armor found in modern Japanese archaeology was born in the second half of the third centuryKofun period 。This era was the time of "horse riding people conquering", so its armour style was not very different from that of other horse riding people on the mainland.The armour is mainly made of small pieces of leather or metal, and occasionally bamboo and wood with rich materials are used.The most important form is hanging armour.
Hanging armor refers to the use of ropes to connect and stack armor pieces, and the next piece should always cover the bottom of the previous piece, so as to form a pattern of nails with the lower layer wider than the upper layer.
Finally, there is a kind of short armour that integrates leather to protect the main part of the carcass, which is similar to the armour style of ancient Greece and Rome.
Large armor
The big armor is a unique armor form in Japan, which was born in the middle of the Heian period. It's really inappropriate to copy it.
Do-maru
Carcass pills appeared in the middle of Ping'an period and originated from hanging armour. At first, they were used by lower level warriors.The initial carcass ball has no deformation of the sleeve armor and the two "dovetail plates" on the chest.It is mainly composed of the shoulder binding, the high button, the main chest plate and the body armor, as well as the grass fold under the waist and the diamond seam plate. It is connected in the left rib, which is much simpler than the large armor.
