Menu Close

Updated: 29 Mar 2024

SOLD

Antique Samurai Armor from mid-late Edo period

$9,909.62

Included:
Armor Stand, Armor Box ,  Full Exportation Support

Delivery Date:
1.0-2.0 month after you place an order
*There might be delay in shipment depending on countries

More photos& videos available on request. Please feel free to contact us. 

SOLD

SKU: Samurai-armor-005 Categories: ,

Antique Samurai Armor from mid-late Edo period

We estimate this armor was made in mid-late Edo period.

Kabuto (helmet)
■Helmet bowl: Momogata Kabuto(Helmet)
The surface is coated with lacquer whose color resembles the iron rust(Tetsusabi) 

■Shikoro(side neck guard):
Iron plates laced with navy blue

■Menpo(face guard):Iron mask with mustache made of horse tail hair.
This type of Menpo(Faceguard) is called Retsusei Menpo(烈勢面頬) It represents the angry face to intimidate enemies. It also has mustache made of horsetail fur.

■ Side decoration(Wakidate) ; Bamboo horn

This Samurai helmet has the Wakidate (脇立, side decoration); its shape looks like a kind of plant. It is challenging to judge the exact motif; however, it seems like the shape of the Inaho (稲穂, ears of rice). In Japan, rice has been worshiped as an essential food and a symbol of wealth since ancient times. Moreover, it has been treated like a treasure. Some people believed the god dwells in it. Therefore, the Inaho pattern has often been designed as a crest of the Inari (稲荷) shrine, which enshrines the Inari god, regarded as the god of grain and agriculture. Also, this plant motif is seen for family crests. It is one of the familiar designs for Japanese people. This Wakidate design might be related to the family crest of the then-owner of this armor.

Armor
■Do(Cuirass):  Nimai Do
Nimai Do is a kind of cuirass for Tousei Gusoku(developed armor style). Nimai Do was named after the fact that Nimai means two plates, and Do means torso in Japanese. This part can be separated into two pieces and connected with a hinge. Typically, the hinge is located on the left side, and you can tighten this cuirass on the right side.

■ Decoration on body armor: Apricot

Golden small flower pattern decorates the Doh (胴, body) part. These flowers might be Japanese apricot blossoms: Five circles depict petals. This flower begins to bloom in winter that snow still covers its tree so that people thought this flower tells the arrival of spring. Same as cherry blossom, it has been appreciated for a long time in Japan. People enjoy its adorable petal shape and scent, gracefully branched tree, and compose many poems. As it comes out in the cold season, it symbolizes the power of perseverance and vitality.

■Kusazuri:lacquered iron Kusazuri laced with navy blue thread

Kusazuri is a skirt of plates attached to the cuirass

 

Small parts
■Kote(Armored sleeves): Intricate iron chain mail with silk 

If you focus on the hand-protection part, you will find the Ougi (扇, fan) pattern, which is colored with gold. This motif has been favored as an auspicious pattern representing development and prosperity. A fan has a characteristic shape, and it is called Suehirogari (末広がり) in Japanese. Based on the idea that this shape implies a perspective of the future, people appreciate this design. The fan pattern also represents wealth because it was once available only for high-ranked people. So, we would say this is a kind of noble motif.

■Haidate(thigh protection) : Haidate is a shin guard

■Suneate(Shin guard): lacquered iron Suneate

 

—————————————————————————————————————
【About us】
Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords/armor, original Japanese sword mounting, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on. 

【Antique Japanese Armor and Export process】
After receiving the full payment from you, we will apply for its export permit from the ageny for Cultural Affairs to legally export the antique Samurai armor to other countries. It normally takes around 1-1.5 months to receive this permit. And we would like you to expect at least 1-2 months for your order to arrive at your given address after you ordered.

【Payment Method】
We accept payment through Stripe(Credit card), PayPal, Apple Pay or ChromePay, all of which are secure payment methods. If you prefer other payment method, please contact us. After confirming your payment, we will apply for an export permit. You may either pay in JPY, USD, AUD, EUR or GBP. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate.

* If the amount is above 1 million JPY, Stripe or wire tranfer will be the only options for payment.

【Shipping】
We offer Free International Shipping as long as we can send antique Samurai armor by either EMS or DHL(If EMS can’t ship to your country). We will send you a tracking number for your order as soon as we hand it to the post office/DHL. We will put 100 % insurance on the shipping document without any extra charge. Based on the total amount, there might be a duty tax or other fee for you to pay, depending on the countries. We use package cushioning to protect the item.

It will normally takes 5-14 days for the item to arrive at your given address after we dispatch it. Time of delivery is estimated as accurately as possible by the carrier but does not take into account any delays beyond our control such as by inclement weather, post office holiday seasons.

  *Please keep in mind that due to the spread of COVID-19, there might be delays in shipping. If you like to know the detail about shipping, please feel free to ask us.

【How To Preserve Antique Samurai Armor】
Dryness, humidity, and bad ventilation might deteriorate the condition of antique Samurai armor. The best temperature to preserve Samurai armor is around 20℃ in Celsius, and humidity should be about 60%.  Direct sunlight should be avoided. We recommend storing armors in a room with good ventilation. If you like to display them outside the boxes for a prolonged time, we suggest using a glass case in order for dust not to be accumulated easily. In case you don’t use a glass case, please make sure to regularly dust off  from the armor by using a soft brush made of delicate cloth or brush for painting.

If you like to know more about the preservation of this armor, please feel free to contact us.

SOLD