Page 249 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

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cuirass and top two rows of the kusazuri of white and then cross-stitchings of red. 151 Haramaki armor
and the top three rows of the ôsode are As was common in the earlier oyoroi, mul- iron, leather, lacquer, silk, gilt metal
1
made of alternating leather and iron lames ticolored lacing borders many of the parts. cuirass h. 26.1 (lo /^
to protect vital areas; the remaining tiers The metalwork of gilt chrysanthemums Muromachi period,
are made completely of leather lames. and the leather stencil-dyed with shishi on first half loth century
Typical of haramaki, the five-tiered kusa- a background of peonies are similar to
zuri is divided into seven sections, as com- those in cat. 146, though on a much- National Museum of Japanese History,
pared with the four sections in óyoroí, and reduced scale. Chiba Prefecture
the eight sections common in dômaru. Although partially repaired in the Edo Important Cultural Property
The tiers have been joined together period, this set of armor is complete in its In its general construction, size, and in
with lacings of different colors, as in cat. constituent parts and represents a classic most of the details, this set of haramaki is
148. The lacing pattern of the central por- example of Muromachi-period haramaki. similar to cat. 150. Differences between
tion of the set, consisting of the cuirass It is said to have been used by Hosokawa the two include the color of the lacing of
and the pendant kusazuri, is echoed by Yorimoto (1343-1397), and was passed some of the tiers and the slightly more nar-
that of the ôsode. On both, the upper tiers down through generations of the Na- row form of the cuirass. This set is also ex-
are bound by, in descending order, white, beshima family, daimyo of a domain in Hi- tremely well preserved, though some of
red, and then white lacings. Below are zen Province in Kyushu. The Nabeshima the lacing is damaged and a few of the
tiers joined together with indigo-dyed were closely involved with the develop- small pieces of gilt metalwork are mis-
leather thongs. At the bottom are lacings ment of the ceramic industry in their fief, sing. AMW
including Karatsu ware (cats. 248, 249) and
Nabeshima ware (cats. 258, 259). AMW

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