Chinese Yi Armor Element, Arm Guard

Curved like the arm it once guarded, and traced with a pattern in bronze and black.

A Yi arm guard from China, made in leather and pigment in the 19th century, is a piece of armor that is commonly associated with the Yi people of southwestern China. Layered leather armor was often lacquered and painted for protection. Here the guard wraps in a shallow cone, with a rolled edge at one end. Round, medallion-like motifs appear on a dark ground, the surface incised with fine lines and aged to amber and dark brown.

About 3 inches by 5 inches. A small piece with a very big past.