Tang (618–907 AD) Imperial Guard Officer 唐将

April 24, 2024

Tang (618–907 AD) Imperial Guard Officer 唐将

Music: Tai He Song

Model: William C 飞廉超

A Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) officer of the imperial guard. His scarlet headband is based on a mural of Prince Zhanghuai Li Xian's tomb at Qianling Mausoleum, dated 706 AD; Li Xian was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and his wife (the future) Empress Wu Zetian. He was once the Crown Prince but was then demoted by his mother and made to commit suicide. The officer wears a "Hu"胡 styled lapelled riding coat over a lamellar cuirass and he wears the tried and true lamellar vambraces. The "New Book of Tang" recorded that Tang imperial guards were mainly armed with bow and sword.

Close up of a guard inside a mural of Prince Zhanghuai Li Xian's tomb at Qianling Mausoleum, dated 706 AD; the guards were depicted in a white riding coat and wearing scarlet headbands.

On their side (below) is a tubular arrow case called húlù 胡禄 where his arrows are stored. Beside the arrow case is also a saber.

Armor beneath the riding coat: Zhao Mausoleum 昭陵- Taizong's tomb complex in Shaanxi China, Taizong commissioned six of his favorite war steeds there and one of the reliefs depicted one of Taizong's favorite war horses being attended by an armored warrior

ARMORED

Art by: 边塞涂夫

A Tang general or guard officer in heavy armor with glave. Note: Modao 陌刀 is sometimes used for these angular Guandao looking polearms distinguished by their pentagonal blade but it is used too liberally because there's next to nothing about Modao in specific in the records. Currently there's a heated debate as to weather Modao actually describes these depicted polearms or that Modao are in fact long 2 handed swords- aka ones that later became Zhanmadao and later Changdao.