Unknown
Japanese
Armor with Helmet and Face Mask , 19th c. CE
lacquered iron helmet, mask, body and laced plates; patterned silk sleeves with stencil-dyed leather trim; silk cords throughout; metal; gilt wood; and horn
68 3/4 x 22 x 16 in.
SBMA, Gift of Robert C. Ludlum
1958.12
RESEARCH PAPER
Very popular among visiting school children, this Japanese suit of armor and helmet are important objects in our Japanese Art Gallery. They were made in the 19th century, most likely at the end of Edo Period (1603-1868) and were used for ceremonial purposes rather than for actual combat. They are well-preserved, fine examples of Japanese armors and helmets.
Our set of armor is a late model, the type known as Tosei Gusoku, or modern equipment that first appeared during Muromachi Period (1338-1573). The armor is lightweight but covers most of the body. It is made of lacquered iron plates linked together by silk cords; some are colorful orange. Iron chain mail covers arm and leg guards with stencil dyed leather trimmings. The facemask is made of iron and with mustache. When we look at the helmet, the first thing we see is the antler like ornament attached to the helmet. Its significance is twofold: one is that it gives ferocious appearance of a stag, emphasizing the wearer’s virility and the other is that it is the mark of the wearer so that the people could recognize among hundreds in a group who the wearer was. Recognition of his bravery and skillful swordsmanship is the utmost importance for a Samurai.
How are the suit of armor and helmet made?
The main components are made up of numerous slender lacquered iron plates (called sane), linked together by braid in horizontal rows. The boxlike cuirass is formed of four sides, each composed of one or more layers of sections of such linked rows and joined by cords at the four corners. The whole was secured on the right side of the body, with another piece, the waidate, covering the joint and it was hung over the shoulder by straps.
A skirt (kusazuri) of linked rows of plates was suspended in four sections from the front, back and sides. Two large rectangular shoulder guards (oosode) of the same flexible construction hung from the shoulders, tied loosely to the arms and across the back, acting as moving shields when the arms were raised. The sleeve – made of silk or leather dyed with stencils and covered with chain mail as well as iron plates on the upper and lower arm and on the back of the hand – extended from the shoulder to the fingertips. The helmet is the most important component of a set of armor. The bowl of the helmet is made up of curved triangular iron plates riveted together vertically. On the back and sides of all helmets a neck guard composed of rows of linked plates was attached to protect the neck and shoulders and sometimes the clan insignia was attached in the front.
History
The style of Japanese armor was well established in the middle of the Heian period (794-1185) when the warrior class (the Samurai) came into existence. Changes were introduced over the years in accordance with changes in strategies and weapons in warfare, but the basic design of the armor remained the same.
The early armors, known as Ooyoroi, (great harnesses) were designed to withstand arrows and glancing sword cuts, and at the same time, allow maximum freedom of movement for the wearer to use his own weapons. See the previous section for the description of Ooyoroi. The fundamental principle was flexibility.
Over the course of the following centuries, with large armies of foot soldiers armed with lances, the armor became lighter. In response to the introduction of firearms from Europe in the mid-sixteenth century, a shield like heavy iron-plate armor was produced. Iron face guards were added to cover either the lower half or the whole of the face. Some were modeled in the form of ferocious faces with mustaches and violent expressions. This was an age when the individual could rise in status by military merit, and many expressed their individuality with armor of striking inventiveness. Some helmets were given the appearance of monsters or animal heads.
Many of these various types of armor were reproduced in the Edo Period (1603-1868), although Tosei Gusoku, (modern equipment, light armor) remained the standard type. The Edo Period was relatively peaceful time, but the suit of armor and the helmet were regarded as the spirit of the Samurai. Therefore the daimyo (lords) and upper class retainers owned and sometimes proudly displayed their suits of armor and helmets in a prominent place in their household. In observance of the Shogun’s order of alternate attendance, whereby the provincial lords were forced to spend some months in Edo and leave the members of their close families in Edo as hostages when they returned to their domains. The annual journey on foot to and from Edo was a grand procession of retainers, varying from a few hundred to several thousand persons depending on the wealth and position of the daimyo who sat inside a carriage. He did not wear his suit of armor and helmet, but they traveled with him in a beautifully decorated lacquered box. According to the laws, the Samurai could only carry a pair of swords at the waist. However, during the Edo Period, from time to time, there were resurgences of militarism and it is largely because of this revived militarism that the armorer’s craft flourished well into the nineteenth century and that so many fine pieces of armor and weapon survive today.
The details of the SBMA armor where the lacquered iron plates are laced together with silk cords and leather trims are beautifully done, showing outstanding craftsmanship. The overall color is subdued and there is no decorative metal work, reflecting, perhaps, the somber and austere taste of the late Edo period. If you ask whether this armor could protect the wearer from the gunshots, I would say probably not. But maybe this was made for show, and then, it certainly served the purpose. We do not know if our armor and helmet were worn for some kind of ceremony, but we can easily imagine they would have presented an impressive spectacle for the occasion.
Prepared for SBMA Docent Council by Kyoko Sweeney, March, 2003
Selected Bibliography Harris, Victor, Arms: Balance of Peace, Exhibition Catalogue “Edo Art in Japan 1615-1868”, Washington, 1998 Temple and Shrine Treasures in the Custody of the Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto, 1992