Page 257 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

157 Tóseí gusoku armor gourds and chrysanthemums, all con- with chrysanthemum-shaped medallions
iron, leather, lacquer, silk, gilt metal nected by a weave of chain mail to iron attached to a light brown cloth ground
l
cuirass h. 37 (^ /^} gloves and attached to a ground of blue brocaded with a design of clouds. The
Edo period, iSth-icth century silk cloth richly brocaded with a design of black-lacquered suneate are made from
peonies. three hinged curved sections of iron lined
Kunózan Tóshógü,
Shizuoka Prefecture The lower half of the body is pro- with linen. The kote (armored sleeves), are
tected by the standard set of several well- a grid of iron chain mail with gourd and
When a son in the Tokugawa shogunate integrated parts. The kusazuri is made of floral medallions, backed with the same
household celebrated his coming of age, it five tiers of small black-lacquered leather brocaded cloth as the haidate.
was customary for the Iwai house, over- lames divided into nine sections. The tiers The helmet is a suji kabuto, or "ridged
seers of the shogunal armor, to present are bound together with blue silk lacing. helmet," somewhat similar in construction
him with a set of armor. This set is one Below the kusazuri is the haidate (protec- and shape to that of the Kagoshima Jingu
such example. Although six similar sets are tive apron), made of five tiers of card- ddmaru (cat. 148). In this tdsei gusoku hel-
extant and their provenance is unclear, shaped small, black-lacquered leather met, however, the shikoro, or neck guard,
this one is traditionally said to have be- lames, also bound with the blue silk lacing. is formed of five iron panels tiered to
longed either to the ninth shogun, leshige The haidate is backed with the same richly curve sharply downward. A sword-shaped
(1711-1761), or the eleventh shogun, lenari brocaded blue cloth that was used for the projection stands alone at the front of the
(1773-1841). It is made of two hinged kote. The shins are protected by a pair of helmet, a popular Momoyama-period
halves, with lamellar tiers laced in red, and suneate, made of six iron splints and iron style. In the Muromachi period, similar
the helmet is of the suji kabuto (ridged) chain mail. projections were usually combined with a
type. HY The helmet is formed from two horn-shaped kuwagata, whose twin prongs
sheets of hammered iron and lined with would flank it on either side, as in the Ka-
heavily stitched linen cloth. Twelve deco- goshima Jingü helmet. The interior of the
158 Tdsei gusoku armor rative rivets encircle the base of the hel- helmet is inscribed, Made by Yoshimichi.
iron, leather, lacquer, silk, yak hair met, and cart wheel designs are depicted The hammered iron mask is lacquered on
cuirass h. 45.0(173/4) in maki-e lacquer at the sides. A shikoro of the interior and is equipped with a set of
Momoyama period, five tiers of long horizontal iron panels is silver-plated teeth; a four-tiered throat
late loth-early i7th century suspended from the base of the helmet, as guard is attached to the mask.
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo is a hammered iron mask with a detach- An early seventeenth-century portrait
Important Cultural Property able nose. A plume of white yak hair trails of Sakakibara Yasumasa depicts the war-
from the rear of the helmet, reflecting the rior wearing this armor (cat. 33). In the
The powerful influence exerted by Euro- tendency for the projecting element of the painting, Yasumasa sits cross-legged on a
pean armor on the development of "mod- tdsei gusoku helmet to be made of unusual bear skin cushion, and the dragon and
ern equipment" is reflected in this set of materials and to be positioned more freely wave design on the armor is recognizable.
tdsei gusoku. Along with firearms, which than in earlier periods. AMW It is interesting to note, though, that in the
altered the nature of Japanese warfare, painting, the armor is equipped with a set
sets of Western armor began to arrive in Ja- of sode, upper arm-guards, also decorated
pan from the end of the Muromachi pe- 159 Tdsei gusoku armor with the wave designs. The mask has been
riod. Japanese warriors adapted them by iron, leather, lacquer, silk, gilt metal, removed, allowing a clear view of the sit-
adding typical Japanese parts: kusazuri silver ter's face. AMW
(protective skirts) were suspended from cuirass h. 39.0 (153/8)
the cuirass and shikoro (neck guards) from Momoyama period,
the helmet. Japanese armorers then late loth-early i7th century 160 Tosei gusoku armor
started to produce entire sets of Western- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo iron, leather, lacquer, silk, paper,
style armor, known in Japanese as nan- Important Cultural Property wood, gold leaf
bandd gusoku, of which this set is cuirass h. 39.0 (153/4)
representative. This set of tdsei gusoku was owned by Momoyama period,
According to the Tokugawa jikki Sakakibara Yasumasa (1548-1606), the late i6th-early i7th century
(Records of the Tokugawa shoguns), this daimyo of a domain in Kozuke Province
set was presented by Tokugawa leyasu (present-day Gunma Prefecture). Lavish Honda Takayuki Collection, Tokyo
(1543-1616) to his important ally Sakakibara use is made of maki-e lacquer to depict the Important Cultural Property
Yasumasa (1548-1606), daimyo of a domain gold and silver dragon that winds around This massive set of tdsei gusoku was origi-
in Kôzuke Province (present-day Gunma the lower tiers of the cuirass, and the gold nally owned and worn by Honda Tada-
Prefecture). The cuirass is made from two waves that churn along the bottom two katsu (1548-1610), one of Tokugawa le-
single sheets of hammered iron, one for tiers of the kusazuri (protective skirt). Sil- yasu's most trusted generals and a power-
the front and one for the back, hinged on ver is used to trim both the cuirass and the ful daimyo of Ise Province (a large part of
the left side and fastened together with kusazuri. Gold maki-e lacquer and gilt present Mie Prefecture). Attached to the
cord at the right. The rims of the cuirass metal cart wheel designs are dispersed sides of the distinctive helmet is a striking
are finished with lacquer, and the interior over many parts of the set, including the pair of antlers, large but lightweight, made
is lined with black-lacquered leather. Iron small fukikaeshi of the helmet, the top of of wood and layers of paper hardened with
shoulder straps serve as the base for a pair the cuirass, and the iron gloves. coats of black lacquer. The grimacing
of hinged gydyd, which protect fastening The set, composed of tiers made from horned head (shigami) at the front of the
cords and a pair of horn toggles. Also at- black-lacquered horizontal iron panels, is helmet, carved from wood, covered with
tached to the shoulder straps are a set of of the nimaidd type, with the front and black lacquer and gold-leafed, was a type
kobire, tiny shoulder guards often used in back forming two discrete hinged sections. of ornament popular from the Momoyama
tôsei gusoku, here three tiers of narrow The five-tiered kusazuri is divided into through the Edo periods. This set includes
iron panels bound with blue lacing. The seven sections. Below this is the haidate a string of gold-leafed wood prayer beads
kote (armored sleeves) are made from (protective apron), made of iron chain mail (not pictured here) reflecting the Buddhist
metalwork patches, some in the shape of faith of the warrior.

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