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- tomb vault of Qin Shi Huang (fig. vi). Actual specimens of Western Han iron armour have been excavated from a Western Han armoury found at the Han capital, Changan (Xian) as well as being found in Han tombs at Luoyang, Huhehot and in the Western Han princes� tombs of Liu Sheng at Mancheng, Hebei; Liu Mei at Guang�zhou; and Liu Xiang at Linzi, Shandong.
Since there have been no great finds of actual suits of armour or tomb figurines of armoured warriors dating from the Eastern Han Dynasty (a.d. 25-220) and the Three Kingdoms period (220-265), we do not yet have a clear picture as to the style of the armour worn at that time. However, it is known that several new types of armour were developed at the end of the Western Han Dynasty and were further improved with the use of the so-called �steel of a hundred refinings.� It was because of the growing perfection of metal weapons that the Chinese were forced to devise new means of increasing the effectiveness of their defensive armour, and this accounts for the existence of ever-varying new types. Two small compositions drawn up by the famed usurper, Cao Cao and his son, Cao Jin, of the Three Kingdoms period, reveal the different types of armour in existence at that time: hei guang kai (black and shining armour), ming guang kai (bright and shining armour), Hang dang /ca/ (armour with breast and back plates joined by braces), huan dang jia (chain armour), and ma kai (armour for horses). The first two types seem to be pointing to a very fine type of metal armour with a high polish.
This armour continued to be used in the Western Jin (265-316) and Eastern Jin (317-420) periods, but the most popular type of armour used was a corselet-type suit of armour called tong xiu kai (quarter-length sleeve armour). Excellent examples of Western Jin tomb figurines wearing this type of armour were found in tombs near Luoyang (fig. vii, also see fig. 18). The figurines wear quarter-length sleeve armour made of small, rounded laminae sewn on to a sturdy foundation in an overlapping arrangement like the scales of a fish. They also wear interesting, tight-fitting helmets with high, knobbed spikes.
The modelling technique and design of tomb figurines greatly deteriorated from the end of the Han into the Jin period. Several types of coarse, poorly proportioned clay warriors with corkscrew headdresses have been found illustrating this decline (fig. 19).
By the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (317-589), the quarter-length sleeve armour was still in use, but was gradually being replaced in popularity by protective armour called Hang dang kai (double-plate or double-faced armour) (fig. 27). It is this type of armour with breast- and back-plates, closely enveloping the chest and back, with straps over the shoulders and a belt at the waist to hold it to the body, that is seen most frequently on the tomb figurines of this period. This type of armour was usually made of thick leather hide and sometimes of sheets of metal. It also appears to not just have been worn on the battlefield but also by officials at court. When depicted as tomb figurines, officials are often leaning on swords or with their hands clasped in front of them (fig. 21). This type of civilian armour, which may have been made of a light and soft material, continued to be popular into the Tang period (618-907).
The other popular armour of this time was ming guang kai (bright and shining armour or cord and plaque armour) (figs, x, 26). This armour has a big breast-plate of two moulded oval-shaped protectors and a similar back-plate, which were held to the body by cords looped elaborately around the waist and connected through the centre to the neck. It continued to be popular through the Tang period. It was said of the armour that it was like a mirror and on the battlefield the sun would reflect off it. This polished armour, together with an impressive metal helmet was designed to inspire such fear in the enemy that he did not dare attack the wearer. In battle, the enemy
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