Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 105: Military Supplies, Combat Equipment IV

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Body Armor

The original woodcut diagram depicts a suit of "Scale" or "Lamellar" armor. This style was highly valued in the Ming Dynasty for its balance of protection and flexibility, consisting of hundreds of small, overlapping metal or leather plates laced together to form a protective "skin" for the soldier.

Foreign Armor, Horse Armor, and Steel Components

Master Mao original: 茅子 (Maozi). This is Mao Yuanyi (1594–1640), the author and compiler of this monumental military encyclopedia. He was a scholar-strategist during the late Ming period. states:

The designs of body armor are not uniform, and the theories concerning the manufacture of armor are also remarkably numerous. Regarding these military implements, I have provided these illustrations and gathered these various explanations to inform those of future generations. In this way, the work may constitute a comprehensive synthesis original: 大成 (dàchéng). This term literally means "Great Completion" and implies a definitive collection of knowledge that brings a subject to its highest level of maturity. of the subject.