A Study On Armor Clothing In The Middle And Late Ming Dynasty Based On Art Images

The middle and late Ming Dynasty was a turning point in the social development of the Ming Dynasty.During this period,with the popularization of gunpowder weapons,new combat methods were ushered in on the battlefield.The new combat methods put forward new requirements for armor and clothing.Armor clothing in the middle and late Ming Dynasty gradually became an important turning point in the development of armor in the Ming Dynasty.This thesis takes the armor clothing in the art images of the middle and late Ming Dynasty as the starting point to explore its specific forms and the deeper decoration and cultural aesthetics behind them.This thesis firstly outlines the current state of research in the related field,defines the time(1450-1644)and the related concepts of armor clothing in the middle and late Ming dynasty,secondly discusses the background of the armor development in the Ming period,and describes the sources and background of the armor contained in this period.Then,the armor clothing involved in the mid-late Ming Dynasty images are organized and categorized according to body parts,which mainly include three types of helmets: phoenix wing helmet,hat-shaped helmet and mantle,four types of armors: cloth-faced armor,zha armor,fish scale armor and lock armor,and other body parts.Based on the above analysis,the characteristics of the armor of this period are divided into process and local characteristics,based on the mutual evidence from images and documents as well as objects.The analysis reveals that the helmet can be divided into two categories: onepiece type and split-flap type in terms of specific techniques.The way of armor making can be divided into cloth-faced armor,zha armor,fish scale armor and locking armor,etc.The Mingstyle armor of this period is developed and innovated in terms of inheritance,such as round guard and armor binding trip,fish tread tail and leg skirt hanging.To sum up,it can be concluded that the armor in the images of the middle and late Ming Dynasty not only reflects the characteristics of cultural exchange across time and space,but also was deeply influenced by the social customs at that time and inherited and developed under this background.As protective clothing,behind it is not only the embodiment of the most advanced scientific and technological achievements at that time,but also the intersection center of culture and social fashion.