Upper-Arm Armor is the protection carried over the shoulder and upper arm. In this vocabulary it is identified with 披膊 and does not include the separate forearm guard called 臂鞲.
In the CG reconstruction model, Upper-Arm Armor connects to the Armor Support Vest rather than relying on a rigid joint with the Shoulder Swallow. Plates, lames, fabric, leather, or composite construction may be used according to the particular armor form.
Its function is to extend the armored body across a moving joint while preserving a broad martial silhouette. Images may vary in construction, but the upper-arm position remains the key distinction.
CG Reconstruction Interpretation
The Owner’s visual evidence shows cords on both sides of the component. They pass beneath or around the upper arm, then are brought forward and tied again. These local ties prevent outward flipping and rearward slipping while the vest provides the upper connection.
The goal is stable placement with shoulder and arm mobility. Shoulder Swallows connect separately to the vest and are additionally tied beneath the armpit, so they normally retain more freedom than a rigid attachment directly to Upper-Arm Armor would allow. This fastening account describes the approved CG reconstruction, not one mandatory method for all Chinese armor.
