Mōsunari kabuto, samurai helmet in the shape of a cap

Lacquered iron

Edo period, 17^th-18^th century

The helmet is made entirely of iron and is made with six plates on which four other iron sheets are fixed.

The shape is quite rare and is reminiscent of the mōsu, a type of headgear worn by Buddhist monks.

A helmet of the same shape but left in natural iron is preserved at the Iwakuni Art Museum and is considered one of Japan’s most famous kawari kabuto.

The gilt-wood maedate depicts a gold coin.