Off the top of my head... the only authentic, real armor I've seen photos of are...


Shang/Zhou/Warring States bronze helmets, scraps of leather from tombs
Qin/Han: maybe some remains of scales from lamellar



Qing(Ming?) Brigandine


There seems to be a giant gap there, around Sui/Tang and Song. I believe there's no physical remains of plate&cord and star scale armor yeah?
Why the gap? My guess is change in burial practices? It seems the only stuff that remains is dug up from ancient tombs, or is just 100-200 years old so didn't turn into dust.

I know in Japan they have enshrined Tang dynasty swords, do they have any remains of Tang armor?

yes indeed...japans armour style also comes from either before or during the Tang dynasty...have you seen the movie 夜宴 (night banquet) it has pretty good example of the so known samurai style...sadly the world now sees it as japanese...

i have a picture from the movie "the resurection of the dragon" which is based during the three kingdoms but all the chaotic times before the Sui dynasty they have similar style armour

i am also interested in chinese armour...but sadly the internet has a limited source...but im sure there are still surviving ones...i myself like to draw my own chinese armour i might upload some samples...they might not be correct but they do have the chinese style

no reason to be sad, it's kinda endearing. Most non-Chinese really can't tell the difference, and just say samurai because it's the term they know, and really most people don't care that much about armor design. Like a Roman legionairre can be called a 'knight' by an American housewife if she sees her son's friend dressed up.

Funny how this kind of attitude comes up though with East Asians. I don't really see much debate on armor representation differences between France, Germany, England, etc. Or a frenchman objecting his cavaliers be called knights or... etc. etc. etc.

Being visibly upset is an admittance of failure, smiling is a victory in itself.

Hi TMPikachu, if you could go to Beijing Military Museum, there are a lot armors in display from diferent eras, I posted once a photo of a piece of Tang dynasty lamelar taken from the same museum.

ah, I'll have to go there when I go to Beijing.


Could you direct me to the photo of Tang armor you saw?

It was a long time ago, I will see if I can find the photo. Or you can give me your email so I could send to you.

there are actual surviving ones well at least replicas but yes this site has some drawn pictures of different armour of different dynasties
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!I5__UPGQ...;l=f&fid=16
well maybe this link would b better ^^ http://www.vbgamedev.com/OTHER/zgjbkj.htm