20TH CENTURY

Details

A JAPANESE BLUE-LACED ARMOUR
20TH CENTURY
The do-maru type armour with a thirty plate ridged helmet with gilt stylised horns and a pierced plaque reading Hachiman Daibosatsu (Hachiman Great Bodhisattva), the gilt fixture decorated with chrysanthemums and a hollyhock mon, the face mask with a moustache and neck guard, the shoulder guards and thigh protector similarly decorated to the cuirass body section with gilt-metal chrysanthemum details, with gilt lacquered and chain-mail sleeves and gilt lacquered lower leg guards, with a black lacquered storage box and wood stand
The box 22 ¾ in. (57.8 cm.) wide, 19 ¼ in. (49 cm.) deep, 24 ¾ in. (63 cm.) high

Special notice

This lot will be removed to an off-site warehouse at the close of business on the day of sale - 2 weeks free storage

Lot Essay

The dating of this armour suggests that it was made for decorative purposes - it is a custom in Japan to display miniature armour during the Boys Festival in May and some people display life size armour. The style of the armour resembles the work of Masahiro Morisaki, and some parts may possibly be made by the armourer or his pupils. Masahiro Morisaki was a renowned armourer in western Japan, who was designated a living national treasure in 1995, and appointed master craftsman by the Research and Preservation of Japanese Helmets and Armour, Tokyo - both of which are highly prized distinctions.

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