Ryubu menpo, samurai mask

Circle of Noguchi Zesai

Early Edo period

Red lacquer armour mask with black lacquer moustache and beard. Yodarekake with four plates of kiritsuke-zane lacquered in byakudan gold.

Armor designed by Noguchi Zesai have well-defined and distinctive features. The most immediately recognisable trait is the menpō, with moustaches and beards painted in black lacquer rather than made of horsehair, often with eye-catching shapes. 

The designs and choices of Noguchi Zesai impacted a number of armorers, particularly those who executed his projects. In the absence of documentation, it is therefore challenging to discern accurately when an armor was actually designed by him or when it is the work of a follower who incorporates his characteristics.