Fine Kinpakuoshi Mai Dou Gusoku

S O L D

Fine Kinpakuoshi Mai Dou Gusoku

鉄白檀塗切付小札二枚胴具足-在銘(江戸期）

KABUTO signed XIN GUO

Early EDO era, ca. 1650 A.D.

Original wooden box.

Fine Kinpakuoshi Mai Dou Gusoku, this is a very complete Samurai Armor. There are no replacements (with all original accessories). Inside the Kabuto there is the author’s signature XIN GUO. With very fine 32KEN (Flower Star) KABUTO. Iron MENPO. The Armor skirt has white hairs. Which is very rare. The Armor has been gilded with unique red gold. Early Japanese Samurai armors used this gild.

* Japanese armour was generally constructed from many small iron (tetsu) and/or leather (nerigawa) scales(kozane) and/or plates (ita-mono), connected to each other by rivets and macramé cords (odoshi) made from leather and/or braided silk, and/or chain armour (kusari). Noble families had silk cords made in specific patterns and colors of silk thread. Many of these cords were constructed of well over 100 strands of silk. Making these special silk cords could take many months of steady work, just to complete enough for one suit of armour. These armor plates were usually attached to a cloth or leather backing. Japanese armour was designed to be as lightweight as possible as the samurai had many tasks including riding a horse and archeryin addition to swordsmanship. The armour was usually brightly lacquered to protect against the harsh Japanese climate. Chain armour (kusari) was also used to construct individual armour pieces and full suits ofkusari were even used.

Individual armour parts

A full suit of traditional Samurai armour could include the following items:

• Dou or dō, a chest armour made up of iron and or leather plates of various sizes and shapes with pendents
• kusazurimade from iron or leather plates hanging from the front and back of the dou (dō) to protect the lower body and upper leg.
• Sode, large rectangular shoulder protection made from iron and or leather plates.
• Kote, armoured glove like sleeves which extended to the shoulder orhan kote (kote gauntlets) which covered the forearms. Kote were made from cloth covered with iron plates of various size and shape, connected by chain armor(kusari).
• Kabuto, ahelmet made from iron or leather plates (from 3 to over 100 plates) riveted together. A neck guard shikoro made from several layers of curved iron or leather strips was suspended from the bottom edge of the
• Mengu, various types of lacquered metal and or leather facial armour designed in a way that the top heavy helmetkabuto could be tied and secured to them by various metal posts. Mengu had throat guards yodare-kake made from several rows of iron or leather plates or kusari (chain armour) sewn to a cloth backing, suspended from the bottom edge.
• Haidate, thigh guards which tied around the waist and covered the thighs. These were made from cloth with small iron and or leather plates of various size and shape, usually connected to each other by chain armour (kusari) and sewn to the cloth.
• Suneate, shin guards made from iron splints connected together by chain armor (kusari) and sewn to cloth and tied around the calf.

* From Wikipedia