284 Chinese Clay Figures 



All these pieces are soaked with lime, and united by means of soft, 

 tanned leather thongs passing through the perforations of the plates. 

 Along the maritime coast of Che-kiang and in Kuang-tung, the guards 

 stationed there have to utilize black-lacquered iron plates perforated 

 and connected by cotton strings; for the rest, however, their armor is 

 made in the style of the 'brilliant armor' (ming kid). 1 



"In 1435 (tenth year of the period Suan-te) the ordinance was issued 

 that each coat had to be fixed at a length of four feet and six inches, with 

 a supply of two catties of cotton and velvet; for the making of the 

 trousers, half a catty of cotton and velvet should be used; the wadded 

 boots should be from nine inches and a half up to one foot, or one foot 

 and two inches long. Now, the regulation was provided to make wide 

 coats and trousers, and to employ for these fine, closely woven, broad, 

 and white cotton stuff dyed blue, red, or green; the sleeves should be 

 wide and long; and the materials employed, like cotton and velvet, 

 should be of solid quality. The wadded boots should be fine, thick, and 

 strong. In the finished garment a written entry was to be made by the 

 government officers who inspect the troops and examine their equip- 

 ments; they shall enter the family name and surname of the tailor, the 

 cost-price, the measurements in feet and inches, the weight, the number 

 of strips of cloth used in the skirts, with seal attached. At fixed terms, 

 every year before the seventh month, the uniforms were to be furnished. 



"In the year 1496 (ninth year of the period Hung-chi under the 

 Emperor Hiao-tsung) it was ordered that for the covers of the armor 2 

 thick and dark blue and white cotton stuff should be employed, that 

 for the ' armor with nails ' {ting kid) small studs with lacquered heads 

 should be used. It was further settled that, for each set of a blue cotton 

 stuff iron armor, iron to the quantity of forty catties and eight ounces 

 should be required, and that each set of the finished armor should 

 weigh twenty-four to twenty -five catties. In 1503 order was given that 

 the guards stationed in southern China should exchange their iron 

 armor for that made of water-buffalo skin sewed together by means 

 of cotton ropes." 



Figs. 43 and 44 are here inserted to illustrate the conventional 

 Chinese style of representing plate mail. 3 



The Manchu dynasty adopted the military institutions of the Ming 

 in their entire range, and in particular the defensive armor, without 

 making any new additions in the line. Plate XXXIV illustrates a 



1 A technical term frequently employed in the Annals; it presumably refers to 

 highly varnished and polished plates of iron or steel. 



2 In Chinese, "the face of the armor" (kia mien). 



3 Compare note 4 on p. 243. 



