original: "Sancai Tuhui"; a famous Ming Dynasty encyclopedia covering "Heaven, Earth, and Humanity."
Humanity, Volume 12
Page 3

The Jurchen State

original: "Nüzhen Guo"; the Jurchens were a Tungusic people from the region now known as Northeast China or Manchuria. They were ancestral to the Manchus, who would later establish the Qing Dynasty just decades after this book was published.

The illustration shows a man in typical northern frontier dress, reflecting the Ming Chinese perception of the Jurchens as a formidable martial people. He is depicted in a heavy, fur-trimmed robe and a distinctive tasseled hat, carrying the tools of his survival: a composite bow and a decorated quiver. This outfit was designed for the harsh cold of the north and for mobility on horseback.