Mid Edo period, 18th century
The helmet (kabuto) of this authentic Japanese samurai armor is of suji-bachi construction, of tall shape (koseizan), made with 62 plates. The helmet’s shape suggests an attribution to the armorers of the Haruta Kaga school. The maedate (front ornament) is a classical inome (boar’s eye), a typical feature of suits of samurai armor from the region of Kaga, as is the flat round tehen-ho-kanamono on the top of the kabuto. The inome design is found also on the shoulders’ guards (both on sode and ko-hire), confirming the provenance of this samurai armor. Other features that can be often found on Kaga suits of armor are the use of the expensive Dutch leather (here on the shoulders’ guards borders) and the Byakudan-nuri surface that we can see inside the cuirass (dō). This is an expensive finish found only on high-end suits of armor, obtained covering a gold surface with a transparent layer of red lacquer which lets the underneath precious metal shine through. The fact that we find it in the interior means that only the samurai who wore this armor would enjoy such a luxury feature.
A kamon representing a coin can be seen on the front of the cuirass, behind the rings. The use of the family crest in this position is again a feature of the samurai armor from the Kaga region.
There are some rare features on this suite of samurai armor. The sleeves (kote) are made to be laced together and incorporate the neck’s protection; also, the four holes under the rivets of the helmet (hibiki no ana) are decorated with a small ring: such a unique feature. This samurai armor is originally Japanese and for sale, in excellent condition. It is a collector's item and not a reproduction.
On this page is a comprehensive glossary of common terms related to samurai armor.
Price band: 10,000€ - 25,000€
Samurai armor for sale. Price on application. Please include item stock number: gus-1555
Inventory Nr: 1555
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