Horse Armor 



307 



pointed out (p. 174), is an isolated instance in this period, and smacks 

 of anachronism. For this reason also the metal horse mail must be 

 looked upon with diffidence, and I am not inclined to attribute much 

 importance to this text. 



Fig. 51. 

 Armored Cavalier on Caparisoned Horse, Clay Figure in Collection of Mr. G. Eumorfopoulos, 

 London (after Burlington Fine Arts Club, Exhibition of Early Chinese 

 Pottery, Plate iv). 



In 519 a.d., A-na-kuai, the King of the Juan-juan, 1 presented to the 

 Emperor Su-tsung of the Wei dynasty one set of fine and brilliant 2 

 mail complete for man and horse {jen ma k x ai), and six sets of iron mail 

 for man and horse. 3 



Caparisoned war-horses are repeatedly mentioned in the History of 



1 He committed suicide in 552, after having been vanquished by the Turks 

 (Hirth, Nachworte zur Inschrift des Tonjukuk, p. no). 



2 This attribute is invariably used with reference to iron armor with varnished 

 or polished plates. 



3 Pei shi, Ch. 98, p. 6. 





