A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF ARMOUR FROM A JAPANESE MUSEUMA
KIN KOZANE KON ITO-ODOSI NIMAI-DO GUSOKU [GOLD-LACQUERED BLUE-LACED TWO-PIECE CUIRASS ARMOUR]
MOMOYAMA PERIOD (16TH-EARLY 17TH CENTURY)
The armour comprising:
Helmet (
kabuto):
A black-lacquered four-plate
zunari kabuto [head-shaped helmet], a
maedate [forecrest] of gold-lacquered wood
toppei [high-reaching slender U-shaped piece], gilt
agemaki no kan [ring for decorative bow] to rear,
mabisashi [peak] formed from the frontal plate with gilt
fukurin [edging] partially engraved with sections of leafy scrolling against
nanako-ji [punched ‘fish roe’ ground], four-tiered
shikoro [neck guard] of gold-lacquered iron
shittsuke-zane [iron plate formed in semblance of individual scales], the lower tier lacquered red with gold scrolling, the
fukigaeshi [turned-back portions] clad with green and white dyed leather with the
shishi-mo [lion and water weed] pattern with gilt
fukurin matching the
mabisashi and applied gilt
kugi-nuki [nail-puller]
mon [family badge]
Face Mask (
menpo):
Black-lacquered iron face mask with white bristle moustache, the nose, upper red-lacquered with gilt teeth integral and detachable, four-tiered iron
shittsuke-zane yodarekake [bib] matching the
shikoroCuirass (
do),
Sleeves and Shoulder Guards (
kote and
sode):
A
nimai-do [two-piece hinged cuirass] of
kon kebiki-odoshi kinnuri honkozane [gold-lacquered individual scales close-laced with blue braid],
munaita [upper breast portion]
oshitsuke-no-ita [upper rear plate] and
watagami [shoulder braces] of gold-lacquered iron plate, the
waki-ita [underarm plates] of red-lacquered iron, black-lacquered iron
sashimono-dai [personal banner fixture] at the back, five-tiered
kusazuri [skirt] of seven tassets of goldlacquered leather
shittsuke-zane, the lower tiers lacquered red with gold leafy scrolling, the
kobire [minor shoulder covers] of
kiko [hexagonal iron pieces] brigandine with gold thread edging on a shoulder rest of padded red silk,
chu-sode [medium shoulder guards] of six tiers of gold-lacquered
shittsuke-zane, the
kanmuriita [uppermost vertical plate] or a row of
ichimonji [straight profile]
shittsuke-zane, the
shino-gote [sleeves] having short oblong splints and chrysanthemum-shaped
hiji-gane [elbow metal] of gold-lacquered iron mounted on black iron chain mail on a pale green gold brocade ground
Thigh and Lower Leg Guards (
haidate and
suneate):
Ita-haidate [thigh guard] of four tiers of close-linked rectangular plates lacquered gold, the lower tier lacquered red,
shino sune-ate [lower leg guards] with gold-lacquered iron splints linked with chain on leather and pale green silk with gold brocade, shoes of textile and leather clad with wild boar fur
Armour Box (
yoroi-hitsu):
Black-lacquered
karabitsu [armour box], together with a red-lacquered leather belt with carrying loops bearing a gold lacquered crossed hawk’s feathers
mon* Please see our
Conditions of Sale for definitions of cataloguing symbols.