Bronze Age armbands have been found made from
bronze (sometimes gilded) and
jet. When used as part of a
military uniform it is called a
brassard. Uniforms serving other purposes such as to identify members of
clubs,
societies or
teams may also have armbands for certain ranks or functions. An armband might identify a group
leader, a
team captain, or a person charged with controlling or organizing an event. Police departments in Asia use armbands for a "traffic reflection armband" or marking a type of unit. Journalists in Asia use an armband to mark themselves, similar to a
press badge. Armbands are sometimes used to indicate
political affiliations or to identify the wearer with an
ideology or
social movement. Large corporations sponsor athletes and teams in an effort to get
advertising when the athletes exhibit the corporate
logo visibly. Armbands,
headbands,
handbands and
wristbands are common forms of such advertising. The phrase
to wear your heart on your sleeve, meaning to show your feelings, to display an emotional affiliation or conviction, is supposedly related to armbands. In medieval
jousts, ladies of the court were said to tie a piece of cloth — a
scarf or
kerchief — around the arm of their favorite
knight, who thus displayed his affection for the lady. Armbands are often used to hold a smartphone or a portable music player on a wearer's arm while doing activities such as lifting weights, running, etc. A hybrid type of armband and handband combination is now also widely used by runners. Even armbands can be used for giving identity to someone and who they are part of their tribe. Indigenous people used armbands for that reason and they used Metals, raw hides, leather, and beads to create the uniqueness of armbands. ==Mourning==