A blue-laced domaru gusoku (armor)
Helmet signed Takayoshi, Muromachi period (16th century) mounted Edo period (17th century)
Comprising a 62-plate russet iron Myochin suji-bachi (ridged bowl) helmet, five gilt fukurin (edging) to front and rear, and four to left and right, hachimanza (decorative surround to aperture at the apex) of three tiers of gilt copper chrysanthemum profile, kuwagata-dai (stylized horns fixture) of copper nanako ('fish roe' punched ground) with two applied gilt copper doves, one with open beak and one closed, kuwagata of roundly-sculpted copper stag antlers, gilt maedate (forecrest) of a gohei (Shinto paper emblem), russet iron mabi-sashi (peak) with gilt fukurin (edging), manju-jikoro (neck guard) of five tiers of shittsuke-zane (plate formed in simulation of individual scales) with dark blue kebiki-odoshi (close lacing), the fukigaeshi (turnbacks) leather clad with gilt fukurin matching the mabi-sashi and applied opposed cranes mon (family badge) on gilt roundels, russet iron reisei (angry expression) menpo (half mask) with detachable nose, expansive bristle moustache, and gilt teeth, with four-tier double layer yodare-kake (bib) matching the shikoro, two-tier double layer nodowa (throat guard) of black lacquered hon-kozane laced with dark blue seven-tier sode (shoulder guards), black lacquered iron five-splint tsutsu-gote (sleeves), the domaru (cuirass) of hon-kozane, the munaita (upper breast section), waki-ita (under-arm pieces), oshitsuke-ita (top rear plate) and watagami (shoulder suspension pieces) all clad with dyed leather and with gilt fukurin, a single gyoyo (leaf-shaped protective piece for the shoulder suspension) of dyed stenciled leather with gilt fukurin and gilt opposed cranes mon, the domaru and sode with a number of gilt kanamono each, six kusazuri (skirt) of hon-kozane with five tiers, Iyo haidate (thigh guards), lacquered leather shino sune-ate (lower leg guards), the shikoro, yodare-kake, nodowa, do, sode, kusazuri, and haidate all in matching dark blue kebiki-odoshi, with red hishi-nui (decorative cross-knotting) at the lower extremities, contained in two lacquered wood boxes each with the opposed cranes in gold makie lacquer.

Provenance
Nanbu family

Kyoto Arashiyama Museum, Kyoto

Literature
Kyoto Arasiyama Museum, ed., Tetsu to urushu no geijutsu: Kyoto Arashiyama Bijutsukan zohin shu (Art of iron and lacquer: the collection catalogue of Kyoto Arashiyama Musem) (Kyoto: Kyoto Arashiyama Museum, 1986), p. 21.