How To Make Chinese Paper Armor

"Practically Invulnerable": Chinese Paper Armor

Winter 2009

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Volume

24 , Number

2

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Being credited with the invention of a papermaking procedure as early equally the second century CE, and with having even earlier references to newspaper-like materials, China is ordinarily believed to exist the first nation to put newspaper to widespread use. Apart from the obvious use of paper for messages, books, and paintings it was besides fabricated into kites, shoe soles, blankets, fans, umbrellas, and even mattresses. The Chinese are also believed to be the inventors of wallpaper and paper money. But possibly one of the most peculiar uses the Chinese found for paper was that of making armor for its armed forces.

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Through the ages the Chinese armies take used all kinds of materials to protect the bodies of their men. It would be well across the scope of this article to describe them all merely permit me to begin with a short overview of some types of armor used usually in China from the Late Bronze Historic period to the dawn of the twentieth century. Among the earliest types of armor known are those dating from the Shang dynasty of the sixteenth century BCE up to 1024 BCE, which were made from pieces of turtle vanquish laced together. Around the time of the Han dynasty of the third millenium BCE armors consisted mostly of statuary plates or sections of cured leather that were laced together. Such leather armors endured in some remote areas in Cathay up to as late as the twentieth century by Chinese ethnic minorities such equally the Yi. Many of these armors deport a hit resemblance to their much before predecessors. When steelmaking picked upward during the Warring States flow information technology eventually came to replace bronze every bit the main metal for armor and remained in employ until as late as the nineteenth century. Like the leather armors, the steel armors frequently consisted of many minor plates that were laced together. The shape of the plates varied from simple foursquare or rectanglar pieces to those that were shaped like fish scales or had complex interlocking shapes such as the Ming dynasty'south shanwenjia, or "mountain design armor." By the mid-Qing dynasty firearms were so well adult that they could pierce nearly any armor. Instead of striving for maximum protection Qing soldiers preferred to remain more than mobile and dressed in a multitude of layers of cloth, felt, and/or silk. Such protection tin hands be underestimated, simply bodily testing has shown that it can be quite difficult to get through many layers of cloth with sword or arrow References to newspaper armor in Chinese history are relatively scarce simply all the same persist over a long period of time. The earliest references to paper armor appear to appointment from the Tang dynasty, which lasted from 618 to 907 BCE. During the latter function of this dynasty a sure Shang Suiding is credited with the invention of paper armor that was initially only used by civilians in times of peril.1 After even so in the Tang we find an account on governor Xi Shang (847–94) of the metropolis of He-Dong who kept an regular army of 1 chiliad soldiers at the fix who were equipped with suits of pleated paper armor. It is of special interest that this armor was described equally being able to withstand heavy arrows.2 This city was shut to Khitan territory and the heavy arrows referred to were those of Khitan mounted archers with whom the Tang was in a constant state of war. Near a century later, during the early Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) there was an set on on this very same town led past the captain of the imperial Song army Li Tao. He noted that the town's defenders were dressed in yellow paper armor, indicating that the use of newspaper armor endured hither even after the fall of the Tang.3 Later on in the Song dynasty there is mention of the capture of 110 suits of newspaper armor from two surrendered coastal pirate vessels by a commissioner of armed services diplomacy Gong Hua.four The use of paper armor was not restricted only to the enemies of the Vocal. Chen De-Xiu (1178–1235), magistrate of Chuanzhou, stated in 1 of his memorials to the upper-case letter that the weapons in his fort were sufficient for coastal defense except that fifty sets of newspaper armor were needed for his navy, for which he would exchange 1 half of the ane hundred sets of atomic number 26 armor in his possession.five An account dating from 1040 describes that troops stationed in the cities of Jiangnan and Huainan in Anhui province, both noted papermaking centers, were ordered to produce as much as 30 m suits of paper armor for the garrisons of Shanxi province.6 Shanxi was near the Jin empire where Jurchen attacks, again consisting of mainly mounted archers, were eminent. Perhaps the most detailed data on paper armor that has surfaced from classical Chinese texts is the description provided in the military treatise Wubeizhi, or "Treatise on Armed forces Preparedness" dating from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Compiled by Mao Yuanyi and finished in 1621, the treatise states in affiliate 105, pages 17–18 of the original version: Armour is the basic equipment of soldiers, with which they are able to suffer without suffering defeat before sharp weapons. The terrain in the south is dangerous and depression, and where foot soldiers are more often than not employed they cannot take heavy loads on their backs when travelling swiftly. If the ground is wet or there is rain, fe armour hands rusts and becomes useless. Japanese pirates and local bandits frequently use guns and firearms, and even though armour made of rattan or of horn may be used, the bullets tin still pierce it. Moreover, it is heavy and cannot be worn for too long. The best option for pes soldiers is newspaper armour, mixed with a multifariousness of silk and fabric. If both paper and textile are thin, even arrows can pierce them, not to say bullets; the armour should, therefore, be lined with cotton wool, 1 inch thick, fully pleated, at knee length. It would be inconvenient to use in muddy fields if too long and cannot encompass the body if too short. Heavy armour can only be used on ships, since there soldiers do not walk on muddied fields. Only since the enemy tin can accomplish the object with bullets, it could not be dedicated without the use of heavy armour.7 It is interesting to note from this passage that one of the main advantages of paper armor, in the eyes of distinguished naval commander Mao Yuanyi, was that information technology was lighter than iron (steel) armor and did not rust. The same treatise too describes a paper arm guard that consists of layers of paper, silk, and fabric. Little is known about the verbal method of construction of these armors but we exercise know that by the Qing dynasty, Korean newspaper— recognized for its toughness and durability in both China and Japan— was preferred for making armors. Korean newspaper thus made upward large function of the tributes from Korea to Prc in the Qing dynasty.viii References to newspaper armor in Chinese history are relatively scarce simply yet persist over a long period of time. The primeval references to paper armor announced to date from the Tang dynasty, which lasted from 618 to 907 BCE. During the latter part of this dynasty a certain Shang Suiding is credited with the invention of paper armor that was initially merely used past civilians in times of peril.1 Later on nevertheless in the Tang we find an account on governor 11 Shang (847–94) of the city of He-Dong who kept an army of one thousand soldiers at the ready who were equipped with suits of pleated paper armor. It is of special interest that this armor was described as being able to withstand heavy arrows.ii This city was close to Khitan territory and the heavy arrows referred to were those of Khitan mounted archers with whom the Tang was in a constant state of war. Nearly a century later, during the early Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) at that place was an attack on this very same boondocks led by the helm of the imperial Song army Li Tao. He noted that the town's defenders were dressed in yellow paper armor, indicating that the use of paper armor endured hither even subsequently the fall of the Tang.3 Subsequently in the Vocal dynasty there is mention of the capture of 110 suits of paper armor from two surrendered coastal pirate vessels by a commissioner of armed services affairs Gong Hua.iv The use of newspaper armor was not restricted only to the enemies of the Vocal. Chen De-Xiu (1178–1235), magistrate of Chuanzhou, stated in one of his memorials to the capital that the weapons in his fort were sufficient for coastal defense except that fifty sets of newspaper armor were needed for his navy, for which he would exchange ane half of the one hundred sets of iron armor in his possession.5 An account dating from 1040 describes that troops stationed in the cities of Jiangnan and Huainan in Anhui province, both noted papermaking centers, were ordered to produce as much equally xxx Antique arrowheads that newspaper armors may accept been up against. From left to right, measuring between 107 and 129 mm in length, and up to 20 mm wide: early on Iron Age armor-piercing arrowhead of triangular cross department, two Jin dynasty Jurchen arrowheads with chisel-shaped tips, Qing dynasty Manchu standard military arrowhead, Qing dynasty Manchu armed services rattan-piercing arrowhead. Ii tardily nineteenth-century arrows. Top: a target arrow with Amur cherry-bark wrapping , 91 cm long, 9 mm thick. Bottom: a standard-consequence military arrow with black-painted paper wrapping, 104.5 cm long, 9 mm thick. 12 - hand papermaking Consul Bedloe of the Amoy mission offers 1 of the most detailed descriptions of paper armor in a rare Western eyewitness account: Parallel to this alternating of leather and wool in the north was that of newspaper and cotton fiber cloth in the due south of China. It seems ridiculous to call such combinations armor, and nonetheless they make an armor superior in many instances to steel. Thirty thicknesses of alternating calico and paper will resist a pistol bullet or ane from a burglarize at a distance of a hundred yards. A spearman who thrusts his weapon into a homo clad in this kind of garment can neither wound his enemy nor excerpt his weapon, and if his enemy is an archer or is armed with a long sword or javelin, he is likely to lose his life for his mischance. The arrange of a famous Yiinnan bandit consisted of sixty thicknesses of cotton fiber fabric and paper, and fabricated him practically invulnerable. These suits are comparatively low-cal, are very durable, and of course, extremely cheap.9 The above description suggests that by the nineteenth century the use of paper armor was primarily a southern custom. 10 This is probably due to the climates, with the due north having a dry desert-like climate with extremely cold winters while the south enjoys subtropical atmospheric condition. One can well imagine how hard it would be to have to fight in alternating layers of leather and wool in temperatures of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides interesting to note is that in contrary to the Song era account where a slice of steel armor was traded for a slice of paper armor, consul Bedloe states that these newspaper armors were extremely cheap. Reasons for this may be numerous, from the availability of newspaper at the time to the sheer necessity of Chen De-Xiu to obtain these newspaper armors. Perhaps the most interesting part of this business relationship however is how it describes the surprising effectiveness of paper armor, being even bulletproof from sure distances, making the wearer well-nigh invincible. A peacock-plumage hat ornament with its box, nineteenth-century; box: xl.7 cm long, 6.two cm diameter; plume: 36.3 cm long. Such plumes were awarded by the emperor for special ceremonious service or merit in boxing. Box frame and inside lining of paper, covered with green cotton wool. One might ask, how can a relatively delicate material like paper do better than steel to defend against spears, arrows, and even bullets? The respond lies in the flexible layered construction. With an armor made of a single mass of cloth, say a plate of metal, the integrity of the whole plate is compromised by a single crack, whereas with a multitude of layers any damage on one layer does non affect the integrity of any of the other layers. On flexibility, the idea that the soft overcomes the hard is widely known in Chinese Daoist thought and may have well contributed to the development of soft armors from early on times onward. Instead of taking all of the energy of the impact, soft materials yield and neutralize much of the touch on free energy earlier they start taking damage. In tests performed with replicas of historical armor-piercing arrowheads, a stock-still steel plate was easily pierced while softer targets such as a pillow were impossible to penetrate. Although not discussed in this commodity, I have included illustrations of nineteenth-century Chinese weapons and related items from my collection in which handmade newspaper is a component of their construction. It should hardly surprise the reader by now that the latest bulletproof trunk armors make utilize of a very similar concept. Today, paper-thin layers of synthetic materials such as Goldflex or Dyneema are employed in making torso armor. Although these synthetic materials are far more avant-garde than paper, with high tensile strengths, resistance to abrasion, no moist absorption, and increased atomic weight, they withal brand utilize of the same principle of having many flexible layers to deal with the kinetic free energy of the bear on. They do so very effectively without existence excessively heavy, hot, or hindering the wearer's movements, much like paper armor. Paper armor endured in both noncombatant and military circles from the late Tang dynasty all the way to the late Qing dynasty, providing protection against the developments in weapons for over a thousand years. Information technology even outlived steel armor that was made obsolete by developments in firearms at around the mid-eighteenth century, and may well accept been the first type of bulletproof armor e'er devised. Some sources advise that the price was similar to steel armor, while other state it was very cheap. No doubt there were many gradations in quality and finish, which may contribute to the inconsistency of pricing in those few sources that we tin can reference today. Paper armor was proven to be surprisingly effective, fifty-fifty in the eyes of period observers such every bit consul Bedloe as well as seasoned imperial naval commanders such as Mao Yuanyi. The fact that modern armorers once more utilise very similar concepts of armor construction, admitting with loftier-tech materials, attests for the effectiveness of multi-layered protection that handmade paper already provided for centuries. ___________ notes i. Berthold Laufer, "Chinese Dirt Figures, Function I: Prolegomena on the History of Defensive Armor," Field Museum of Natural History Publication 177, Anthropological Series, vol. 13, no. 2 (Chicago: Field Museum, 1914), 292. 2. Wu Zhen, Xin Tang Shu \[New Book of the Tang\], eleventh and twelfth centuries. Reprinted in Shang wu yin shu guan, Minguo 24 (Shanghai, 1935). 3. Fujian Tongzhi \[General Gazetteer of Fujian\], 1737 edition. iv. Tsien Tsuen-hsuin, "Paper and Printing," part 1 of Chemistry and Chemic Applied science, vol. 5 of Science and Civilisation in Prc past Joseph Needham (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1985), 114. five. Ibid. six. Laufer, 292. 7. Translation by Tsein Tsuen-hsuin, in "Paper and Printing," 115. viii. W. W. Rockhill, China'south Intercourse with Korea, (London: Luzac & Co., 1905), 25. nine. Laufer, 293–94, note two.

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