Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. Samurai warrior suits included armor plating, to deflect swords and arrows. A fully armored samurai would include a helmet, sleeve shields, lower armor (below waist), a sword, and an arrow quiver. The body armor was made of thick leather, and it was lacquer covered to help the samurai with the humid climate. A typical suit of samurai armor consisted of 250 yards of silk and over 3000 pieces of leather. The armor, being light in weight, was ideal for fighting and riding on horses. The armor was beautifully made, with patterns of colors woven into it. It was so nice, that it was even worn in the post victory celebrations.
The Samurai had one piece of metal as the chest plate, and smaller pieces of metal tied together with the clan colored silk. The armor was strong, but not nearly as strong as the medieval European battle attire. For this reason, it lacked protection against heavy blows and arrows in most of the areas without metal. The advantage of this was to be able to move faster than the enemy and with that advantage they could win battles. This also made the Samurai faster on their horses, and since it was lightweight, they preferred to fight on foot whereas the enemy would get tired faster.
Scholars agree that Japanese armor first appeared in the 4th century, with the discovery of the cuirass and basic helmets in graves. It is thought they originated from China via Korea. During the Heian period (794-1185), the unique Japanese samurai armour ō-yoroi and dō-maru appeared. The Japanese cuirass evolved into the more familiar style of body armour worn by the samurai known as the dou or dō, with the use of leather straps (nerigawa), and lacquer for weatherproofing. Leather and/or iron scales were also used to construct samurai armors, with leather and eventually silk lace used to connect the individual scales (kozane) of these cuirasses. In the 16th century, Japan began trading with Europe, during what would become known as the Nanban trade. This was the first time matchlock muskets were imported, and as they became mass-produced domestically, samurai needed lighter and more protective armor. As a result, a new style of armor called tosei-gusoku (gusoku), which means modern armour, appeared. When a united Japan entered the peaceful Edo period, samurai continued to use both plate and lamellar armor as a symbol of their status.
This excellent example dates from the first half of the 19th century, the later portion of the Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai) or Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa jidai) of Japanese history. This is the period between 1603 and 1867, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo.
It consists of 16 ken helmet with stepped tehen with petal decorations. Shiten no byo. Mabizashi with three rivets and maedate slot, filled with brass maedate in the form of a diamond tipped sword with flanking flames and gilded on interior. Fukigaeshi with black lacquer and edged with gilt lines and three diamonds. Cruciform knot on hanger at back of hachi. Three lame black lacquered shikoro bound with blue cord and brown lacquered on interior in a cracked ice pattern. Liner with felt lining that is peeling under mabizashi. Hanpo with deep brown lacquer and three lame yodare-kake bound with the same style of blue cord as found on kabuto, edges bound in multicolor blue and offwhite cord. Dou of do-maru configuration and lacquered in black, with a mixture of foliage green and deep blue cord, opening under right arm and wrapped in leather on interior. Cloth covers under shoulder straps. Kusazuri lacquered en suite, and wrapped in leather on interior. Sode, kote, cuisse skirt, and greaves black lacquered and covered with chainmail and small iron plates over green foliage cloth and internally lined in deep blue cloth. Housed in a wooden travel box with iron bands and tabs, kamon painted on, and latch.
Overall condition is very good with some expected chipping and rubbing to high edges as one would expect from a piece of this age. Some minor separations in the cloth, but nothing serious. Do possibly re-lacquered at one point, possibly period. Leather has some losses, mostly to lames but scattered throughout. Do has numerous little scratches, sode, lote, cuisse skirt, and greaves and some staining on cloth and patina on metal.
A fantastic genuine Samurai Armor suit from the Edo Period!
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