Lot Essay
The o-yoroi (great armour) is by far the rarest style of armour, worn only by those whose rank and wealth warranted armour of this grandeur.
O-yoroi first appear in recognisable form towards the end of the 10th century. It's large all enveloping shape suited the mounted warrior and created a good protection against sword and arrow. A lighter form of armour was worn by the foot soldier and for centuries the two types developed in tandem.
The distinctive feature of the o-yoroi are the do (body armour) which is in two pieces, the right hand side consisting of a solid plate leather covered, from which hangs one of the four large kusazuri (tassels). This is put on first supported by cords tying round the body and the rest of the do with a kusazuri at the front. The left side and back is put on next. These kusazuri were large with straight square lower edges tapering upwards which gave a boxlike skirt effect. Another feature was the tsurubashiri (path of the bowstring) which was a skirt of decoratively printed leather covering the front of the do in theory to allow the unobstructed passage of the bow string when shooting across the chest. Other distinctive features were the two plates worn on the front of the do to protect the fastening cords, the one on the right (sendan-no-ita) has a solid top plate above 3 or 4 rows of laced plates which gave protection but did not impede the sword arm whilst the one on the left (kyubi-no-ita) is a solid plate. These early o-yoroi were worn with large shoulder guards suspended from the shoulders of the do and secured by cords from the rear edge to a large bow on the back which prevented them falling forward during violent action. The helmets were heavy with large deep neckguards, the front edge of which turned back on itself to protect the sides of the face. In the earliest periods no facemask, sleeves, thigh or shin guards were worn but these were added later as the armour developed. The fact that the o-yoroi was worn exclusively by the mounted gentry is reason enough for the wealth of ornamentation that appears on some of the finer examples.
The development of the o-yoroi was a comparatively slow and steady process taking some five hundred years from the late 10th through to the end of the 15th century. The changes were relatively slight and did not effect the overall design of the armour. The size of the lamellae were reduced. Helmet bowls became lighter, neckguards shallower and fukigayesh (blown back) smaller. Armoured sleeves were introduced, first for the left arm only and later in pairs, simple shin guards, a form of close fitting thigh guard and protection for the face with the introduction of the happuri, a type of mask which protected the brow and cheek but left the mouth, nose and chin exposed.
As the design of the suit meant that the weight of the armour was bourn mainly on the shoulders o-yoroi best suited the warrior on horseback. When the nature of warfare changed to largely fighting on foot the use of the o-yoroi became less and finally dropped into disuse in favour of lighter models used by the foot soldiers and adapted for use by men of rank. Throughout the 16th and early 17th centuries the o-yoroi was almost non-existent but when during the mid 17th century, a time of relative peace, a desire for more flamboyant and less practical armour was required and therefore decorative features from earlier styles were re-introduced. This desire for show produced armours which in many cases were odd mixes of earlier types to the detriment of practicality although usually beautifully made. It was not until the latter part of the 18th century that more faithful copies of earlier styles began to appear. Copies of 14th,15th and 16th century armour were made as in the case with this o-yoroi.
It is rare to find exact copies of earlier styles most being slightly modified. This armour is an excellent example exhibiting as it does all the major features of the splendid o-yoroi of old. There are modifications but only in detail. The fukigayeshi are more upright and the kusazuri smaller and more carved on the lower edge, the style of kote (sleeves) so fine but unusually rendered block on block instead of the more usual gold on block as on the original. The happuri is a plus as although entirely in keeping it is more usually replaced by the more common half mask.
However, what makes the armour outstanding is the quality and quantity of its decorative metal mountings which are unusual in design and the quality of the gilding. Butterflies are not a common subject for armour decoration appearing sometimes as crests or in fabric decoration or as later surface decoration on plates. There are no mon displayed on the armour and it is just possible that the butterfly appears in the original owner's and he chose to display it in this manner but whatever the reason the result is quite exceptional.
O-yoroi first appear in recognisable form towards the end of the 10th century. It's large all enveloping shape suited the mounted warrior and created a good protection against sword and arrow. A lighter form of armour was worn by the foot soldier and for centuries the two types developed in tandem.
The distinctive feature of the o-yoroi are the do (body armour) which is in two pieces, the right hand side consisting of a solid plate leather covered, from which hangs one of the four large kusazuri (tassels). This is put on first supported by cords tying round the body and the rest of the do with a kusazuri at the front. The left side and back is put on next. These kusazuri were large with straight square lower edges tapering upwards which gave a boxlike skirt effect. Another feature was the tsurubashiri (path of the bowstring) which was a skirt of decoratively printed leather covering the front of the do in theory to allow the unobstructed passage of the bow string when shooting across the chest. Other distinctive features were the two plates worn on the front of the do to protect the fastening cords, the one on the right (sendan-no-ita) has a solid top plate above 3 or 4 rows of laced plates which gave protection but did not impede the sword arm whilst the one on the left (kyubi-no-ita) is a solid plate. These early o-yoroi were worn with large shoulder guards suspended from the shoulders of the do and secured by cords from the rear edge to a large bow on the back which prevented them falling forward during violent action. The helmets were heavy with large deep neckguards, the front edge of which turned back on itself to protect the sides of the face. In the earliest periods no facemask, sleeves, thigh or shin guards were worn but these were added later as the armour developed. The fact that the o-yoroi was worn exclusively by the mounted gentry is reason enough for the wealth of ornamentation that appears on some of the finer examples.
The development of the o-yoroi was a comparatively slow and steady process taking some five hundred years from the late 10th through to the end of the 15th century. The changes were relatively slight and did not effect the overall design of the armour. The size of the lamellae were reduced. Helmet bowls became lighter, neckguards shallower and fukigayesh (blown back) smaller. Armoured sleeves were introduced, first for the left arm only and later in pairs, simple shin guards, a form of close fitting thigh guard and protection for the face with the introduction of the happuri, a type of mask which protected the brow and cheek but left the mouth, nose and chin exposed.
As the design of the suit meant that the weight of the armour was bourn mainly on the shoulders o-yoroi best suited the warrior on horseback. When the nature of warfare changed to largely fighting on foot the use of the o-yoroi became less and finally dropped into disuse in favour of lighter models used by the foot soldiers and adapted for use by men of rank. Throughout the 16th and early 17th centuries the o-yoroi was almost non-existent but when during the mid 17th century, a time of relative peace, a desire for more flamboyant and less practical armour was required and therefore decorative features from earlier styles were re-introduced. This desire for show produced armours which in many cases were odd mixes of earlier types to the detriment of practicality although usually beautifully made. It was not until the latter part of the 18th century that more faithful copies of earlier styles began to appear. Copies of 14th,15th and 16th century armour were made as in the case with this o-yoroi.
It is rare to find exact copies of earlier styles most being slightly modified. This armour is an excellent example exhibiting as it does all the major features of the splendid o-yoroi of old. There are modifications but only in detail. The fukigayeshi are more upright and the kusazuri smaller and more carved on the lower edge, the style of kote (sleeves) so fine but unusually rendered block on block instead of the more usual gold on block as on the original. The happuri is a plus as although entirely in keeping it is more usually replaced by the more common half mask.
However, what makes the armour outstanding is the quality and quantity of its decorative metal mountings which are unusual in design and the quality of the gilding. Butterflies are not a common subject for armour decoration appearing sometimes as crests or in fabric decoration or as later surface decoration on plates. There are no mon displayed on the armour and it is just possible that the butterfly appears in the original owner's and he chose to display it in this manner but whatever the reason the result is quite exceptional.