Original Item: Only One Available. A KASA (笠) is any one of several sorts of traditional Japanese hats. Some types are amigasa, jingasa, sandogasa, sugegasa, and takuhatsugasa. Note that rendaku ("sequential voicing") causes kasa to change to gasa when it is preceded by another word specifying the type of hat: thus, JINGASA ("camp hat"; helmet). These were issued to the lowliest soldiers of the Japanese War Lords (The Samurai). They were used by simple Infantry who acted as Musketeers using the then prevalent Matchlock ignition system.

Dating to the 1850s and almost the end of Old Samurai Japan as we know it. In the effort to bring Japan into the modern World of the Victorian age there was dreadful push back from the SAMURAI Class of Feudal system Warriors. There was a great rebellion in 1868-1869 known as the Boshin War (戊辰戦争 Boshin Sensō, "War of the Year of the Yang Earth Dragon") in which the Samurai class was finally eliminated.

This is an original Japanese Foot Soldier's Lacquer based head covering or helmet. These in fact provided exceptional protection from attack with a blade from a horseman. Known as a Jingasa, the styles varied according to family or clan. THe front of this helmet is marked in gold with the Mitsuba-aoi (Three Leaves of Hollyhock) (三つ葉葵) Mon of the Matsudaira clan, which became the mon of the Tokugawa clan, the last shogun dynasty of Japan, ruling from 1603 to 1867. Even after the end of the Shogunate both clans retained a great deal of power. The lacquer on the shell is in really great shape, black on the outside and red on the interior.

The interior still has a great condition padded cushion liner, with hemp and cloth side supports and chin straps. Most likely the liner is a more recent restoration, probably brought back during the post war years. The helmet measures 13 1/4" across side to side, and 12 1/2" front to back, with a height of about 5 1/2".

A very interesting Original Japanese Foot Soldier's JINGASA Helmet of circa 1850. Ready to display!