Signed by Myōchin Muneaki and dated 1853Signature: Kaei 6 - Ushidoshi Oshu Nihonmatsu-ju Myōchin Ki (no) Muneaki sakuMade in 1853 by Myōchin Ki Muneaki in Nihonmatsu castle. The helmet is a 24-plate suji kabuto with five rows of visible rivets. The shape is rather tall (koseizan), and the fittings, such as the visor (mabezashi) and the maedate holder (haraidate), are beautifully crafted. The five-plate shikoro bears on the fukigaeshi a rare kamon (family crest) made of silver maki-e lacquer, depicting the butterfly (hachō) used by the Taira clan in the ancient times and later taken up by...