Miniature Armor For The Genpuku Or Seijin Shiki Ceremony - Meiji Era (1868-1912).

JAPAN - Meiji era (1868-1912). Very finely crafted miniature samurai armor. It reproduces identically all the components of a complete armor; KABUTO in metal. THEHEN NO ANA (opening at the top) with three degrees. SHIKORO (neck cover) with three degrees. MABI SA SHI (the visor) and FUKIGAESHI (the wings) in metal covered with suede leather. MAEDATE in gilded wood depicting a dragon (very slight lacks). MEMPO (half-mask of samurai) in metal. YODARE-KAKE (gorget) with three degrees. DO (breastplate) with four braided lamellae. SODE (shoulder guards) with four degrees. KOTE (arm protectors), KUSAZURI (skirt) and HAIDATE (cuissards) with three rows. SUNEATE (greaves). Dimensions in seated position: 60 x 33 x 34 cm. Notes: Genpuku (元服) was the Japanese coming-of-age ceremony. It is also known as kakan (加冠), uikōburi (初冠), kanrei (冠礼), shufuku (首服), and hatsu-motoyui (初元結). To mark the entry into adulthood of boys between the ages of 11 and 17 (usually around 12), they are taken to the shrines of their tutelary kami. There, they are presented with their first adult clothes and their boy's hairstyle (角髪, mizura) is changed to an adult style. They also received new adult names (烏帽子名, eboshi-na) or courtesy names (字, azana). During the Heian period the ceremony was limited to the sons of noble and samurai families, but from the Muromashi period onwards it gradually opened up to include individuals of lower rank. The equivalent ceremony for women was called mogi; It is held for girls aged 12 to 14, and is also based around the display of adult clothing. In modern Japan, these ceremonies are being replaced by coming-of-age ceremonies for young people of both sexes aged 20 today called seijin shiki, or by a ceremony held at school for students who have just turned 15 called risshi-shiki (立志式), literally "standing ceremony of hope" in which children stand in front of the school and declare their goals for the future.