An armour (nimai-do gusoku) and an eccentrically shaped helmet (kawari kabuto), Japan, Edo period, 17th century

An armour (nimai-do gusoku) and an eccentrically shaped helmet (kawari kabuto)

Japan, Edo period, 17th century

Kabuto [helmet]:

The black lacquered iron bowl forged in stylised butterfly form pierced with cherry blossom openings, Nagasone school, the black lacquer peak hammered with furrowed brow, small gold lacquer turnbacks, the four-tirered gold lacquer neck guard with close-spaced lacing in white braid

Mempo [face mask]:

The red lacquer ressei-mempo [face mask with fierce expression] forged with deep wrinkles, flared nostrils and open mouth, detachable nose-plate, wild boar bristle moustache and chin tuft, silver lacquer teeth, four-tiered gold lacquer yodaregake [throat protector] laced in matching braid

Do [cuirass]:

The black lacquered iron cuirass hinged in two pieces, comprising small rectangular plates laced vertically in white braid, seven tassets of five-tiered gold lacquer kusazuri [skirt] laced in matching braid

Sode, kote [shoulder guards and sleeves]:

The six-tiered gold lacquer shoulder guards laced in matching braid, the chainmail sleeves linked in a tight weave and applied with gold lacquer gourd-shaped (hyotan) embellishments, carved with raised sorrel crests (katabami mon), blue linen lining  

Haidate, sune-ate [thigh protectors and shin guards]:

The thigh protectors applied with rectangular gold lacquered iron plates, chased and engraved with various flower form crests, including bellflower (kikyo), iris (hanakatsumi), moonflower (yugao) and ‘floral diamonds’ (hanabishi), the plates each linked with chainmail weave, linen and stenciled Dutch leather lining, horsehair edging

Accessories: 

Accompanied with an armour storage box

Mounted on the armour storage box: Height 136 cm, 53½ in.

The armour storage box: Height 49.5 cm, 19½ in.

A similar cuirass in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum was worn by Tokugawa Yoshinao (1601 1650) during the Siege of Osaka, 1614-15. 

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Armure (nimai-do gusoku) et casque (kawari kabuto), Japon, époque Edo, XVIIe siècle