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when you have art block you start with doodles. and after doodles there come headshot/ bust practices and eventually you start doodling them in cool armor and.... here i land whee.
I normally don't get excited over armor but the character designs of @chiptrillino always inspire me to want to write more.
Zuko's helmet is inspired by Thai military hats from the Ayutthaya period (1351–1767). His mantle is similarly designed to resemble armor from that period. I believe the demonic-looking face on the armor is meant to depict Thotsakan, the Thai version of Ravana, the fierce and monstrous antagonist of the Ramayana (Ramakien in Thai). Thotsakan is not only an intimidating emblem to emblazon on armor, but also bears a resemblance to the Nuo mask that Zuko wears as the Blue Spirit.
Zuko is also wearing two very interesting necklaces. The smaller necklace is a Buddhist rosary known as a mala or lukprakam (ลูกประคำ) in Thai. The bigger necklace is a Thai amulet necklace, known as phra khrueang (พระเครื่อง). In Thai culture, both are seen as sacred talismans that protect against misfortune and bestow good luck.
Zuko's spaulders have a unique, curly pattern along their edges. This is known as the lingzhi mushroom pattern. Lingzhi, also called reishi in Japanese, is nicknamed "the mushroom of immortality" due to its historical association with long life, vitality, and spiritual transcendence in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In Chinese art, this pattern symbolizes never ending luck and longevity.
Zuko's entire armor design expresses a desire for good fortune and protection.
Sokka's armor is a really cool fusion of Mongolian armor and Native Alaskan aesthetics. For example, his helmet is inspired by Aleutian hunting visors. According to Aleut Native Art:
Visors also denoted status and skill. A short visor had little decoration and was worn by young men learning to hunt. Skilled hunters used a longer visor. The amount decoration shows the hunters' expertise. Closed crown visors were worn only by the chief and high-ranking members.
So Sokka's helmet implies great skill and authority. Aleutians, also known as Unangans or Unangas, are the indigenous people of the Aleut Islands in Southern Alaska. Culturally and ancestrally, they are related to Inuit/Inupiat and Yupik peoples.
The flap coming down from the hat is inspired by similar neck flaps found on Mongolian helmets. These neck flaps were typically made of heavy cloth or leather and were lined with small metal plates. Typically, the metal rivets holding the plates in place could be seen on the outside of the flap. This style of armor is known as brigandine in English and hatangu degel in Mongolian.
In general, the structure of the armor is very reminiscent of Mongolian brigandine armor from the 14th-15th century. The fringes hanging from his spaulders are inspired by the fringes found on the traditional garbs of many Indigenous Peoples in North America. The purpose of these fringes was to repel rainwater, allowing the water to run down the strips rather than soaking into the garment and weighing the wearer down. A very appropriate detail for a Water Tribe warrior.
Finally, the wolf imagery on Sokka's spaulder is reminiscent of the wolf depictions often found on totem poles. Totem poles are part of the artistic traditions of Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples of North America, such as Tlingit and Haida. In Tlingit culture, the wolf or "g̱ooch" represents intelligence, loyalty, and hunting skills. The wolf on Sokka's armor is also depicted with its tongue sticking out or "tongue thrusting". In the visual language of totem poles, tongue thrusting represents the sharing of knowledge with others, particularly the younger generation.
Overall, Sokka's armor represents his growth into an intelligent and skilled leader.
