HELMET BOWL NANBOKUCHO PERIOD (14TH CENTURY), ARMOUR EDO PERIOD (18TH CENTURY)

Details

A Fine Ryo-Takahimo Gusoku [Armour with Cuirass Opening on Both Sides]
Helmet Bowl Nanbokucho Period (14th Century), Armour Edo Period (18th Century)
The thirty-six plate black-lacquered iron sujibachi engraved on the interior with the character ichi, well mounted in gilt copper, the front and back plates covered by sheet metal and overlaid by shinodare, each suji covered by fukurin with igaki, on the leather-covered peak a kuwagata-dai and kuwagata with a flying dragon maedate, a four-lame iron komanju jikoro [neck guard] of kiritsuke-kozane, the russet-iron menpo fitted with silvered teeth and a hair moustache; chu-sode of leather hon-kozane, Shino-gote; the do of ryo-takahimo form of thick leather lacquered black and gold, the centre front with an applied lacquer dragon; the kusazuri of hon-kozane in leather, the Iyo-haidate of gold-lacquered leather, the suneate in sanmai-zutsu style lacquered with byakudan, the entire armour gold- lacquered and laced in kebiki style in bands of mauve, white and blue, contained in a red lacquered gusoku-bitsu
The chest 17 5/16 x 16½ x 27¾in. (44.0 x 42.0 x 70.4cm.)

Literature

Katchu bugu kenkyu [Studies in armour and accoutrements], vol. 61 (10 March 1983), p. 23

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium

Lot Essay

A plaque on the rear of the armour box states that this armour was presented to the War Minister Count Terauchi by the officers and civilian staff of the Second Army Division on the occasion of his wedding in 1915. Certified as a Juyo bunka shiryo on 8 November 1981by the Nihon Kachu Bugu Kenkyu Hozonkai [Society for the study and preservation of Japanese armour and accoutrements]; certified by Dr Sasama on 21 December 1980

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