During the Warring States era in China, most armor was made of leather or bronze, or a combination of both. The metal that was used most for military purposes was bronze. Wrought iron (pure iron) began to appear in the 5th century BC, but did not begin to replace bronze until the 2nd century BC. Most infantrymen wore lamellar or coat of plates cuirasses. The lamellar cuirass worn by these men was made of hundreds of small overlapping metal and/or leather plates laced together to make a flexible and light coat of armor. Coat of plates consisted of hundreds of small non-overlapping metal or leather plates stitched or riveted together. Shoulder guards and helmets were often used, but leather caps seem to have been more common for ground infantry.
During much of the Warring States period, most light cavalry units served as skirmishers, thus armor for cavalry was rare as it was not seen as necessary. Armor for heavier cavalry tended to be lighter than that of the infantry. Heavy cavalry armor was usually constructed entirely of leather, and lacked shoulder protection. However, in the dynasties proceeding the Warring States period, cavalry armor gradually become heavier and more elaborate, i.e., heavy cavalry with full body protection ranging from a coat of plates to lamellar from the Han Dynasty or elaborate interlocking triangular scales from the Song Dynasty. Most evidence for armor development during this period comes from the Terracotta Warriors of Qin Shi Huang. Some terracotta warriors wore no armor; it is suggested that most were conscripts playing the role of skirmishers or support troops for the chariots. They are armed with crossbows and were usually placed at the front of formations. Because of the early use of crossbow technology, these conscripts may not have needed armor for close fighting, instead adapting more mobile tactics similar to rifle or musket shooting by rows.
Traces of black paint on these figures suggest that the Qin may have used black lacquered plates and lamellar for their armor. Many different styles of armor were found, but examples of armors from ancient China are rare.
After the fall of the Qin in 207 BC came the rise of the Han Dynasty in 202 BC. By the time of the Han, the primary metal used in armor was iron. Early Han soldiers would have used armor and weapons captured from the Qin. The Western Han army numbered possibly in the hundreds of thousands, so armor was standardized to meet the need. Armor used by the Han included coats of plates, liang-tang, or "double-faced" armor and lamellar cuirases made of leather that was suspended over the shoulders by cords. This armor was used by both the infantry and the cavalry. A much heavier and more expensive version, consisting of iron plates laced together, was worn by officers. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, a new style of armor was adopted: a scale corselet made of leather.
Shields were used by both infantry and cavalry. These shields were usually made of wood and often reinforced by a metal center and rim.
Armor for horses began to appear around the end of the Han dynasty, but the earliest armor yet found dates to the year 302 AD. During the Three Kingdoms Period, fully armored cavalry were extensively used as shock troops. Early horse armor came in one piece, but later horse armor came in multiple pieces: chanfron (head protector), neck guards, chest guards, shoulder guards, flank pieces, and crupper. Most cavalry served as mounted archers, and sometimes removed their arm protection to use their bows or crossbows.
Elaborate ancient Chinese armor development includes the Shan Wen Kai or "Mountain pattern armor". It began to appear during the Tang dynasty and was further perfected during the Song dynasty. It is made from a multitude of small pieces of steel that are vaguely shaped like the Chinese character for the word shan (Mountain). This would thus explain its name. The pieces are then interlocked and riveted to a cloth or leather backing. It effectively covers the torso, the shoulders and the thighs while remaining comfortable and flexible enough to allow movement.
By the 19th century, most armor was worn mainly for ceremonial purposes and was an indicator of rank. The kind of armor that was largely used was the brigandine, a type of armor consisting of a leather or cloth garment lined with metal plates inside. Sometimes, the plates were made in different sizes and shapes to maximize protection. The Chinese brigandine comes in five pieces: the vest, paldrons, skirting, underarm, and groin section. By contrast, the Korean version of this armor is a single piece. Brigandines were first seen in China and Korea in the 12th century AD and were used up to the 19th century. Armour use began to decline after the introduction of firearms, but shields continued to be used. Most Chinese soldiers of the times went without armor of any kind and mostly wore civilian-style clothing.
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