The gradual maturity and perfection of the Qin armor was no coincidence. On one hand, the fine quality was a direct result of frequent wars among states. On tile other hand, the development of armor itself had gone through over two thousand years of history from the late primitive period to the Qin Dynasty. The craft of leather armor was already quite advanced, reaching its height in the Qin Dynasty. By the Han Dynasty, it began to be replaced by the new armor made of iron.
In the Western Han Period, iron armor became the prevalent armor, and a necessity for the army fittings. Soldiers and generals alike wore the chanyi (a kind of under shirt) and trousers. The chanyi is very similar to the shenyi in style. Army wear of the Han Dynasty were red or crimson.
Incessant wars through the ages led to even greater development in armor suits in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. Weapons became sharper, armors and helmets stronger. Typical armor suit of this period included the barrel sleeve suit, the double layer suit and the Mingguang suit. The barrel sleeve suit is normally made of fish-scale or tortoise-shell like chips that are joined together. Protective barrel sleeves are attached at the shoulders. A helmet is worn with ear
protectors and decorative tassels. The double-layered suit is closer in style to the daily wear. It is mostly made with metal although those made with animal skin have also been found. The suit is in two pieces on front and back, covering the chest and the back respectively, similar to a vest that runs down to below the belly. Mingguang suit is one with round metal plates protecting the chest and the back, worn with a leather belt and wide trousers. This type of armor became more popular
over the ages and gradually replaced the double layer suit. In historical books, it was clearly said that both soldiers and their horses wore protective armors.
Tile most commonly used armor in the Sui Dynasty was the double-layered suit and the Mingguang suit. The double-layered suit improved with smaller fish- scale chips, and extended to the belly so that leather armor skirt was no longer necessary. The bottom of the suit was made of crescent or lotus-leave shaped chips for better protection below the waist. The form of the Mingguang armor was similar to the previous dynasties, only with longer trouser legs.
