Ressei Menpo Samurai Mask, Edo Period

Menpo armor face mask in the style of me no shita bo, Edo period (1603 - 1868) A high-quality mask in the style of sabiji is made of iron with a artificially cultivated, beautiful patina. The stylization of the expression is "ressei bo" - an angry grimace with bared teeth and shiva wrinkles, with a mustache made of badger hair. The back of the mask is varnished in the usual way with red natural urushi varnish. The realization of the neck protection tare (yodarekake) is solved in a very interesting and unusual way. The first two lines of kiritsuke sane are gilded, but the third, the lowest one due to the mask, is completely different - it is divided into three separate streams like the kusazuri , ending with pointed lobes. Their contrasting kuronuri black color features a very high-quality makie decoration - in the middle one is  a family crest in the form of a "flower diamond" hanabishi , used, for example, by the Takeda family. On the side lamellas, an lacquer imitation of silver  fukurin fittings is decorated with a gold karakusa ,,chinese grass" pattern . The back of the tare is whole gilded . The sukage-style lacing is made with red-orange odoshi ito, while the mimi ito decorative lace is situated vertically, on the edge of the last line of lamellas.