Islamic arms and armor were often decorated with a wide variety of Qur’anic passages and pious invocations, which functioned as expressions of piety, as powerful defenses in the form of talismans, or simply as visually pleasing ornament.
The field of arms and armor is beset with romantic legends, gory myths, and widely held misconceptions. Most of them are utter nonsense, devoid of any historical base.
Historical [Tibetan] armor and weapons were preserved due to the long-standing tradition of placing votive arms in monasteries and temples, where they are kept in special chapels, known as gonkhang (mgon khang), and dedicated to the service of guardian deities.
Although arms and armor are most commonly associated with warfare, both were used in other contexts, including hunting, tournaments, and as parade costume.
The degree of ornamentation and the range of symbols found on Tibetan arms and armor can vary considerably, but generally the same decorative motifs found on other Tibetan objects and works of art, such as furniture, ritual implements, sculpture, and paintings, are seen on arms and armor.
Engraving, in addition to painting, is probably one of the oldest forms of decoration on arms and armor, and can be found on Stone Age and Bronze Age weapons.
