The Problem of Plate Armor 287 



in the suit of the artillery-man, except that the dragons are here em- 

 bossed, and the clouds are treated in open-work, all metal pieces being 

 heavily gilded. Five similar plates are suspended from the ends of the 

 shoulder-pieces. 



The steel helmet (Plate XXXIX) is a gaudy and elaborate affair 

 of admirable workmanship. It is surmounted by a high crest terminat- 

 ing in a pair of eagle-feathers painted with dragons in gold, and is 

 adorned with twelve black sable-tails, 1 seven of which are preserved. 

 Dragons are lavished on it, being chased in the plated brass mountings, 

 or cut out of the same material in full figure, or represented in inlaid 

 feat her- work. 2 



The bow-case and quiver figured on Plate XL belong to the accoutre- 

 ments of the same official. They are of leather, dressed with red velvet; 

 the upper corners and lower portion of the bow-case are finished with 

 black leather. The metal fittings, of gilt bronze, fastened to the centre 

 and corners of both objects, are of very elegant forms and delicate 

 workmanship. The quiver, in addition to these ornaments, is decorated 

 with three symbols meaning "longevity" (shou). The arrows are stuck 

 into the folds in the interior formed by layers of brown felt. 



Reference has been made above (p. 272) to the early mining of iron 

 in Korea, and the barter carried on in this metal from there to the neigh- 

 boring tribes. Metal armor (k l ai kid) seems to have prevailed in the 

 kingdom of Kokurye {Kao-kii-li) at an early date. 3 The Annals of the 

 Sui Dynasty 4 state in regard to the kingdom of Sinra in Korea that its 

 defensive and offensive armor is identical with that of China, which 

 would mean that Sinra had derived its armor from China. The Books 

 of the T'ang Dynasty mention a kind of armor, seemingly peculiar to 

 the state of Pek-tsi in Korea, under the name "armor of bright lustre" 

 {kuang ming k'ai), which must have been iron armor. Such a suit was 

 presented in 622 to the Emperor of China, and in 637 iron armor 

 {Vie kid), together with carved axes, was sent as tribute to the Emperor 

 T'ai-tsung. 5 Metal armor is alluded to likewise in the Annals of Korea. 6 

 When the Japanese plundered the royal palace of Kokurye, in 562, 



1 This is the required number according to the official statement. 



2 From the blue plumes of the kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis (in Chinese, 

 fei-ts'ui). 



3 Liang shu, Ch. 54, p. 9 b; Nan ski, Ch. 79, p. 1 b. 



4 Sui shu, Ch. 81, p. 4 (also Pet shi, Ch. 94, p. 7). 



6 T'ang shu, Ch. 220, pp. 4, 7. 



6 See, for instance, Ta lung ki nien (published at Shanghai, 1903), Ch. 1, p. 69 b. 

 The Koreans possess a considerable literature on military art (M. Courant, Biblio- 

 graphie cor^enne, Vol. Ill, pp. 63-89). 



