U-061 Edo Period Samurai Armor
This set of armor was used by a lower-ranking soldier and was produced somewhere
in the late 1600’s or early 1700’s. The condition overall is good,
especially considering its age! The kabuto (helmet) is the only piece in the set
that is of a later production, being manufactured in the mid-1800’s. This
armor was purchased by us as a set and nothing has been removed or added. The
kabuto is of the Suji style with 16 ken (steel plates). It has a black finish
with some loss on the left wing. There is a collapsible neck guard produced with
steel bands. The cord ties are sound as is the padded cord chin tie. It has a
leather lining. The crest is gilded, carved wood also signifying a lower ranking
Samurai. The mempo (face mask) is of the nara (old man) style. It is complete
with mustache, “imperial” (chin tuft) and a cinnabar red lacquered interior.
This example has a removable nose plate and a series of three plate throat
protectors. The do (body armor) is of the lyozane hishitoji style made from wavy
iron plates covered in brown lacquer and tied with cross knots. The bindings are
a blue cord. The rear neck and shoulder pads are a fancy yellow cloth. It has
six lower skirts trimmed in bear fur. There is a gilt “coin” for tying an
inryo or other item to on the right side. There is some cracking to the brown
lacquer which is understandable for a piece of this age. There is also some
fraying to some of the cords that the skirts attach to but they are all firmly
attached. The interior is finished in a cinnabar red lacquer. The kote (sleeves)
are made of a thick, blue padded textile with chain mail and plates sewn onto
them. There is some minor lifting to the lacquer on the plates. The haidate
(thigh guards) are a fancy cloth apron with leather and metal plates attached.
The cloth shows moderate deterioration and is fragile. The waist ties are still
intact. The suneate (shin guards) are a padded blue textile with metal and
leather plates. Both the upper and lower ties are intact on each. There is some
fading to the color on the textile due to the age and the use of natural dies.
The uwa-obi (waist belt) is made from a stuffed tube like silk. This is very
worn and has several splits in it. The silk has become very fragile. The yoroi
bitsu (wooden storage box) has a black finish with metal bands. Each side of the
box has the mon (crest) for the Kikkawa Clan. There is some moderate wear to the
box. Overall, this displays very well as you can see from the photos and
represents the outfit worn by an actual fighting samurai!
$5,600.00
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Item U-061
