SAMURAI SUIT OF ARMOUR EDO PERIOD

Object Description

An iron black lacquered 52 plate kabuto [helmet] bearing the signature of Neo Masanobu of the Neo-School. Features a black lacquered large three lame manju-jikoro [neck guard] laced in silk in the sugake style. Inner leather ukebari [liner] with fine hemp roped shinobi-no-o [helmet cord]. Maedate (frontal crest device) of a sachi [dragon fish] with a gilded copper kuwagata [stylized antlers]. A black ressei iron lacquered menpo [face mask] with a yak hair hige [moustache] connected to a gilded three lame suga [throat guard] laced in the sugake style. This armour features a large, fully matched nodowa (secondary throat guard. The dō [cuirass] has a lacquered iron go-mai [five-section] construction in the mogami [horizontal] style. The gessen [skirt] is made of seven sections of black lacquered lames and is laced in the sugake style.

Ko-Gusoku [other parts] gilded medium size chu-sode [arm guards] of seven lames laced in the sugake style. The kote and haidate are of the shino style, the haidate being constructed of iyozane scales. Five lame etchu-shino-suneate [thigh guards] with kikko-gane [hexagonal knee guard].

Supplied with a yoroi-tate [armour display stand] and yoroi-bitsu [armour travel storage box].

Object History

Neo School:
A group of armourers with little documentation but known to be based in Nara between the Momoyama and Tokugawa periods. Neo Masanobu was their best-known smith, highly regarded for his 120-plate kabuto. Neo Masanobu (根尾正信), mid-Edo period, lived in Nara and Kyôto. At the time, Neo referred to the famous Neo valley of Mino province with the Ibukiyama (伊吹山) mountain range to the east, where iron was extracted. Thus it was only natural that casters and smiths settled there, and Neo Masanobu was thought to be one of them.

Object Condition

Very good condition. Some minor flacking to the urushi as to be expected with an armour of this age.

Object Details