Samurai armour "tõsei gusoku", Edo period (1603-1868)

Description

iron, lacquer, lacing, fabric, cracks in the lacquer of the cuirass, base

Helmet (“kabuto”) of lacquered iron, with four-part neck guard (“shikoro”) and lateral protective elements (“fukigaeshi”) with family “mon”. Half mask (“menpõ”) with removable nose plate and moustache of horse hair, throat guard (“yodarekake”) of four lacquered iron slats.

Two-piece breastplate (“dõ”) of lacquered iron, fixed on the left by hinges, closable on the right by straps, on gold lacquered “muneita”. Under the six-piece shoulder protection (“sode”), sleeves (“kote”) of gold brocade, armoured with iron plates and clasps, and with fine chain mesh (“kusari”), hand protection with iron plates (“tekkõ”).

Hip and thigh defence (“kusazuri”), seven-piece, attached to blue strands at the lower edge of the breastplate, each made of five lacquered iron plates.

Thigh protector (“haidate”) made of brocade fabric with iron plates and chain mesh (“kusari”), worn tied around the waist like an apron.

Japanese armour was constructed to ensure that it flexibly fits to the warriors body, giving him the greatest possible freedom to handle his weapons.

The individual components of the armour were linked together just with ribbons, so that they could slid over each other at each movement. For just one armour up to 300 meters of cord material were needed. Armour laces were plaited extremely tight and were additionally steamed in order to make them even more robust. The colours of the laces provided information about clan membership.

The armour was usually brightly lacquered to protect against the harsh Japanese climate. The Samurai fought with swords with long handle, so-called “tachis”, which often had to be led with two hands.

Japanese armour is thought to have evolved from the armour used in ancient China and Korea. Cuirasses and helmets were manufactured in Japan as early as the 4th century. By the end of the Heian period (1185) the Japanese cuirass had arrived at the shape recognized as being distinctly Samurai.

The triumph of firearms (matchlock musket “tanegashima”) in the Momoyama period (1573-1603) changed the nature of warfare in Japan causing the Japanese armour makers to change the design of their armours from the centuries-old lamellar armours to plate armour constructed from iron and steel plates which was called “tosei gusoku” (“new armours”).

Armour continued to be worn and used in Japan until the end of the Samurai era in the 1860s, with the last use of Samurai armour happening in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion.