A Tosei Gusoku

EDO PERIOD (18TH CENTURY)

Details

A Tosei Gusoku
Edo Period (18th Century)
The good heavy sixty-four plate russet iron koshozan hoshibachi helmet [high sided helmet with standing rivets], the shikoro of kiritsuke kozane [neckguard of imitation lamellae] laced with monogara kebiki odoshi [close lacing with a design worked in contrasting colours], a design of a gohei in red, white and green on a blue ground, maedate [fore crest] in gilt copper, kuwagata [decorative horns on the front of helmet], menpo [mask] of black lacquered iron with a hair moustache and chin tuft, the yodarekake [throat defence] laced with kon ito sugake odoshi, ni mai tachido [two piece cuirass standing on the hips] of hon kozane laced with monogara odoshi to match the shikoro, the kusazuri also of hon kozane, chu sode of heavy kiritsuke kozane laced to match do and shikoro, black lacquered iron shino gote, haidate of rectangular iron plates, black lacquered and joined by mail, associated, black lacquered shino suneate

Lot Essay

The original method of manufacturing lamellae armour was to cut individual rectangular leather or iron lamellae with angled tops which were laced as horizontal strips, then lacquered and laced vertically. During the Momoyama period (1573-1615) a more rapid method was employed to get the same effect in which solid plates were notched along the upper edge, and the surface was lacquered to imitate lamellae. These later styles were called kiritsuke kozane [cut lamellae]. This armour exhibits both types.

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