An O-Yoroi (Suit of Armor) with Shimazu Family Crests

HELMET EDO PERIOD (LATE 17TH-EARLY 18TH CENTURY), WITH SIGNATURE MYOCHIN KI NO SOSUKE; ARMOUR AND ACCOUTERMENTS EDO-MEIJI PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)

Details

An O-Yoroi (Suit of Armor) with Shimazu Family Crests
Helmet Edo Period (Late 17th-Early 18th Century), with Signature Myochin Ki no Sosuke; Armour and Accouterments Edo-Meiji Period (19th Century)
The armour of gold hon kozane laced in pale orange, most fittings and each part of the bottom rows ornamented with Shimazu crests, and comprising: a mounted sixteen-plate o-boshi kabuto (low rounded helmet with standing large rivets), the interior in gold, four plates covered with gilt-copper shinodare to the front, both sides and rear (shihojiro), a large tehen no ana with four-stage tehen kanamono, and the five-lame kebiki laced plates for the o-manju jikoro (large rounded neckguards), both ends of the top rows turned back to form the fukigaeshi, partly covered by printed leather and bearing gilt crests on rounded chrysanthemums, the front of the helmet decorated with a shishi (shikami) and narrow naga-kuwagata in gilt-copper; the russet iron face mask with gilt teeth and a white hair moustache, the yodarekake, nadowa, kyubi no ita, sendan no ita, o-sode and haidate mounted to match; a pair of namazu-gote (sleeves with gauntlets resembling a catfish) decorated with butterflies and chrysanthemums in gilt-copper on a black-lacquered iron base in three sections connected by chain on cloth; iron o-tateage suneate (shin guards); with a pair of black bear fur-covered boots; with an armour box ornamented with family crests

Lot Essay

Dr. Sasama in his book Zukai Nihon Kacchu Jiten (Tokyo: Yuzankaku, 1973), no. 24, p. 36 and no. 38, p. 171 mentions the same style of namazu-gote as seen here. The type is also called Yoshitsune-gote after those believed to have been left by Yoshitsune at Kofukuji Temple in Nara. This type is one of the first examples constructed with some plates and chain on the sleeve. Sleeves with plates are illustrated in handscrolls from the mid-Kamakura period and gauntlets with chains in handscrolls from the late-Kamakura period.

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