Shoulder Guards

Shoulder Guards

Shoulder Guards original: 披膊 (pībó): This term refers to the protective mantles or pauldrons that drape over the shoulders and upper arms.

In the context of the Ming dynasty's "Treatise on Armament Technology" (Wubei Zhi), these guards were essential for balancing protection with mobility. The following illustrations detail the construction of these pieces, which were typically made using the same lamellar (overlapping scale) technique as the main torso armor.

The first illustration depicts a unified shoulder guard featuring a joined lamellar design. It includes a protective fringe along the bottom edge and fastening cords at the top to secure the piece to the main cuirass. This design ensures that the heavy plates do not slip during the heat of battle.

The second illustration shows a modular variant of the shoulder guard. Instead of a single piece, it consists of two separate panels. This variation likely allowed for a greater degree of arm rotation, which would be particularly useful for archers or soldiers wielding long-handled polearms who required a wider range of motion.