Turkic Auxiliary, Tang Dynasty-8th century Anxi Garrison 突厥辅兵♢安西

Turkic Auxiliary, Tang Dynasty-8th century Anxi Garrison
http://dragonsarmory.blogspot.com/2018/08/turkic-auxiliary-tang-dynasty-8th.html

A Turkic auxiliary horseman in heavy armor serving the Tang Army, 8th century. He wears heavy Tang lamellar armor and helmet but carries a Turkic bow and saber, which were made of pattern welded high carbon crucible steel, generally with long slightly curved blades with one sharp edge and outward jutting guards. Many Turkic tribes served the Tang either as allies or directly as soldiers, some, like the Shatuo Turks even went on to claim whole provinces after the Tang disintegrated.