Complete Samurai Armor From The Ikeda Clan, With A Signed Kabuto—mid-edo Period (1603–1868).

JAPAN - Edo period (1603–1868).
Complete samurai armor from the Ikeda clan.
KABUTO (helmet) made of black-lacquered metal with sixty-two plates, signed on the inside “SAOTOME IEHARU.”
THEHEN NO ANA (apex opening) with four tiers of gilded copper and patinated copper depicting stylized chrysanthemum petals.
SHIKORO (neck guard) with four tiers, lacquered black with textured surfaces and blue and orange silk braiding.
MABI SA SHI (visor) made of wrought iron accented with patinated copper and finely engraved with scrollwork.
FUKIGAESHI (the winglets)—small, made of brown-lacquered metal and adorned with the Ikeda clan crest in gilded copper.
MAEDATE—an imposing piece made of copper, featuring two large horns with a shishi and chrysanthemums at their center.
MEMPO (half-mask) made of wrought iron, with a pronounced chin and a movable nose accented by long white horsehair whiskers.
YODARE-KAKE (chinstrap): a four-tiered, black-lacquered design with a textured finish reminiscent of the shikoro, featuring blue silk braiding.
DO (chest plate): made of wrought iron, adorned with two stylized flowers; the upper portion is adjustable.
KOTE (arm guards) made of blue quilted fabric, chain mail, and black-lacquered iron plates for the hands.
KUSAZURI (skirt) with five rows of lacquered metal on the reverse, lined with gold-colored leather and embossed with a design of shishi and chrysanthemums, echoing the maedate.
HAIDATE (underskirt) made of blue quilted fabric adorned with honeycomb-patterned topstitching.
SUNEATE (leg guards) made of black-lacquered iron plates, chain mail, leather, and quilted fabric.
Dimensions of the armor in a seated position: 129 x 67 x 45 cm.
Sold with its display stand and its GUSOKU BITSU (transport chests) made of lacquered wood adorned with the Ikeda clan crest, featuring side handles and metal reinforcements.
Additional photos and details available upon request.
Notes: Saotome Ieharu was a Japanese artisan specializing in the manufacture of kabutos, active between 1741 and 1744 in Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture). The Nagoya Museum has a helmet bearing his signature in its collection.