A fine honkozane tachi-do gusoku [true lamellae armour with two-plate cuirass] | Edo period, 17th century

Armour from an Important Private European Collection

A fine honkozane tachi-do gusoku [true lamellae armour with two-plate cuirass] 

Edo period, 17^th century 

the iron bowl in tokanmuri [Chinese court cap] form decorated overall in sabi-nuri lacquered iron, chased and hammered with bold eyebrows and furrowed forehead, the rising crown pierced with a single cherry blossom, the fukigaeshi [turnbacks] applied with Tanuma mon, copper-gilt fukurin, the black lacquer shikoro [neckguard] of four tiers with kebiki odoshi [close-laced] in white braid, the circular maedate [forecrest] of gold lacquered wood, the kashiradate in russet lacquer, the Haruta school mempo in sabi-nuri with detachable nose plate and open mouth, moustache and chin tuft in gold hiramaki-e, gilded teeth, four-tier yodare-gake [throat protector], the heavy iron do [cuirass] of tachi-do type consisting of two hinged parts in black lacquered honkozone [true lamellae], all in light orange braid, seven-tier sode [shoulder guards], closely woven mail kote [sleeves], the tekko [gauntlets] with further cherry blossom, seven tassets of five-tier kusazuri [skirt], the underskirt similarly plated, lacquered and laced, the watagami fitted with black lacquered iron gyoyo, the shikoro, yodaregake, sode and kusazuri in kittsuke-zane, with an armour storage box and modern armour stand