Japanese Tetsu Kuro Urashi Nuri Gomaidō Gusoku Type Armor, Edo Era, Mid-19th Century.

JAPANESE ARMOR OF TETSU KURO URASHI NURI GOMAIDO GUSOKU TYPE, EDO ERA, Mid-19th century. 29924R

Set consisting of helmet (Kabuto), mask (Menpo), cuirass (Do), apron with two reinforced thigh guards (Haidate Kawara), shoulder guards (Sode), pair of arm guards (Yoshitsune Kote), and a knee protector (Sune Ate).

Helmet of rokujuni ken tetsu sabiji sujibachi Kabuto type with a 62-plate forged steel skull with converging edges at its top opening (Tehen) retaining its internal lining of cloth edged with leather. The visor (mabisashi) is plain steel with a piece for a central ornament (maedate) attached. The neck guard (shikoro) has four lacquered black lames held together and articulated by blue lacing. Cheek guards (fukigaeshi) adorned with cherry blossoms in worked copper. Signed FUJI WARAIYEHISA - SAKU.

Menpo of ressei type, made of lacquered iron imitating rusted iron. Nasal piece fixed by two staples. Interior of the mask lacquered red. Throat guard (yo-dare kake) with dark blue silk lacing.

Cuirass of yokohagi okegawa do type held by rigid straps covered in fabric with interlocking plates, black lacquered, flexible and lightweight, connected by lacing of dark blue silk cords. Skirt (kusazuri) with black lacquered plates laced together with cords made of silk threads.

Apron with two reinforced thigh guards (Haidate Kawara) consisting of panels covering the left and right thighs, made of wide fabric bands with a thick canvas lining, adorned with a silk fabric outer layer with "leji" motifs of red foliage and flowers. At the top of the panels, notches called "Muchisashi" of about 10cm in the middle of each section, for the placement of other armor elements, bordered equidistantly by two printed tan leather strips called "Egawa", with floral patterns and kanji characters. In the lower part, a lamellar construction of small slightly curved lacquered rectangular metal plates, with rounded tops and bottoms resembling traditional roof tiles called "Kawara", of identical shapes and sizes, slightly overlapping side by side, laced together with small crossed blue silk threads. Lined on the back with dark blue cotton fabric. Fastened around the waist with a tie, "Koshi himo".

Shoulder guards (Tosei Sode), including an upper plate known as crown plate "Kanmuri Ita", covered in leather. Plate bordered by a decorative band called "Fukurin", here in brown felt with printed patterns and adorned with golden brass plates. On the back, a leather cord connects the "Sode" to the "Watagami" straps. Followed by metal plates coated with a lacquer called "Kozane", the last plate covered in leather and rows of colored fabric circles. Each plate is connected by wide silk cords laced in a "Sugake" style allowing for good articulation.

Arm guards (Yoshitsune Kote), originally worn in memory of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a samurai and general from the Heian and Kamakura periods, 1159-1189. A wide and long band of deep blue silk fabric. The inner face of the trim has small holes for a silk tie to connect the two ends and hold it on the forearm. The outer face is covered in a fine metal mesh of the "kagomegata-gusari" type, made of hundreds of small brown lacquered steel circles connected to form multiple squares. This type of "Kote" features metal protection plates on the forearm shaped like splints called "Shino-kote", here three in total, with small splints called "Ikada" on the upper arm, about 5 cm long each and arranged staggered, widely spaced and closely buttoned. Elbow disc, shaped like a gourd called "Hyotan Gane", or gourd plate, composed of a curved and ribbed metal plate framed by four similarly curved and ribbed rectangular pieces, called "Ikada" luminescent rafts. D-shaped phalange protection called "Tekko". At the top, a lacquered steel plate "Kanmuri ita", pierced with two holes for a cord to pass through, and two horn toggles called "Kohaze" for attaching to the shoulder guards "Watagami". Ties at the wrists.

A knee protector (Sune Ate), a wide band of deep blue silk fabric with metal protection splints shaped like "Shino-kote" connected by a fine metal mesh of the "kagomegata-gusari" type, made of hundreds of small lacquered brown steel circles linked together forming multiple squares. At the upper edge, a decorative band, here made of brown felt with printed patterns.

Imperial Japan.
Edo era, around 1860-1880.
Overall in fairly good condition for most elements except for the cuirass and its skirts in poor condition with missing parts and broken ties in many places.
Helmet in good condition, with missing and torn interior lining leather. Menpo in good condition, partial lacquer loss, some metal plates partially rusted. Cuirass in poor condition, most silk cords broken, skirt similarly in poor condition with mostly torn silk cords. Apron in fairly good condition, several Kawara plates with broken cords no longer holding them to the apron.
Arm guards in good condition. Shoulder guards in fairly good condition. Only one Sune Ate present, in good condition.