Miniature armor

Miniature armor 

Ni-mai do tosei gusoku

Height: 50 cm 

19th century

During the 17th Century samurai families used to display a set of helmet and armor, weapons and banners outdoors on the Tango-no-Sekku Festival (The Boy’s Festival), held on the fifth day of the fifth month, designated as an important ceremonial day by the Edo Shogunate Government. Later in the Edo period these items, except for the banners, were moved indoor, on rooms facing the street. The style of displaying varied in accordance and the armors gradually became miniaturized, thus keeping splendid decorations on, as such armors and helmets were also to display the prosperity of their household.

This fine miniature armor is particularly well made with the kanemono in shakudo with golden edges lacquered in maki-e and decorated with ferns. The dō is decorated with a dragon coiled in a circular shape while the kote are decorated with a kirimon