Heavy Tang Battle Armor: 唐重盔甲

November 30, 2025

Heavy Tang Battle Armor: 唐重盔甲

Music: Unyielding Valor

Reenactor: 琥珀叔叔

Armorer: Cold Light Armor (寒光甲胄工作室)

Tang officer in heavy armor- the heavy pauldron and faulds offers strong protection to the arms and thighs while an integrated lamellar armguard protects the arm beneath- effectively offering double layered armor protection for the arm. Additionally (see below) the officer is also provided with a study domed "eight petal" helmet with cheek guards and a rare chainmail aventail.

Such units fought as heavy cavalry and would have been deployed against comparable ferocious cavalry counterparts. They would have been equipped with slashing ring- pommeled swords, bows, long lances, and heavy maces. A far more casual and more comfortable rendition of a Tang officer in simpler armor can be seen here.

A CLOSER LOOK

Armorer: Cold Light Armor (寒光甲胄工作室)

A notable distinguishing feature- especially for Chinese armor- are the helmet's chainmail aventail (chained neck guard veils) Chainmail had been known within China since the 3rd century, likely through contact with various "Hu" (western barbarian) people of the western regions. The armor did not play an important part in Chinese usage until the Tang whereby examples of such armors were provided as gifts to the Tang dynasty- Tang example can be seen here. The Qiang and Tangut people have made usage of it but such armors never attained widespread use by the Chinese dynasties.

Chinese maces outlined in the Song military treatise Wujing Zongyao (lit. "Complete Essentials for the Military Classics".)

The Youtuber Historical Archer (formerly Historical Weapon) actually made an extremely compelling argument as to why it was not adopted in China- namely that the extreme proliferation of crossbows- which would have entailed dense volleys of hundreds of needle thin bolt heads would have rendered the wide rings of the armor still a liability to the body beneath. The dhal- styled shields were likely influenced by Dunhuang cave murals which depicted Tang lancers equipped with shields with such designs. The Chinese have been known of lacquer techniques since the Shang dynasty and Chu kingdom.

The riding coat is inspired by the riding coat of the northern dynasties that preceded the Tang. From Northern Wei and many following dynasties- riders were frequently depicted in thick riding coats. Such coats were still worn well into the Tang dynasty. Especially in arduous theaters of war.

And arduous it were. For likely the Tang deployed such soldiers against its most dangerous and relentless of foes in the west.

A GRIM MATTER OF NECESSITY

Above: stills of Tibetan cavalry from the now shelved "Dunhuang Heroes" movie. Medium: Closeup of Tibetan warrior in heavy helmet. Below: Armored Tibetan warriors.

One of the reasons the Tang armor were at times so heavily armored was because one of its most formidable foes- the Tibetan Empire- was known for its exceptionally dangerous (and well armored) cavalry- which were said to be well armored all around and with mails that covers the rider and horse in armor. For nearly 2 centuries the 2 empire bitterly fought over the Hexi Corridor and the Tarim Basin for dominance to access to the west. Empress Wu's wars with the Tibetan Empire could be read in detail here and includes both pitfalls as well as great countermeasures. The Tibetan Empire would remain the Tang's main rival until its implosion in the middle of the 9th century.

Above: Golden plaque of a mounted Tibetan noblewoman. Hunting scene, the style shows striking Sassanian and Central Asian influences. The nobleman wears a distinctive turban and riding coat with Central Asian influences. His arrows are secured in a tubular arrow case. The Chinese called these cases húlù 胡禄. Al- Thani collection. The native residents of the Tarim Basin referred to the Tibetans as the "Red Faced Ones" and the Chinese as "White Faced Ones" because of the tradition of Tibetans to paint their faces deep red.