![A fine Myochin school okina somen [full face mask] | Signed Hiroshima ju Ryoei saku (made by Ryoei, a resident of Hiroshima) | Edo period, 18th century](https://dam.sothebys.com/dam/image/lot/b5188aea-010c-4cee-8047-14220d00c90b/primary/extra_small)
The Charlier and Cortina Collection of Exotic Samurai Helmets and Armour
The Charlier and Cortina Collection of Exotic Samurai Helmets and Armour
![View full screen - View 1 of Lot 10. A fine Myochin school okina somen [full face mask] | Signed Hiroshima ju Ryoei saku (made by Ryoei, a resident of Hiroshima) | Edo period, 18th century.](https://sothebys-md.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1ac1580/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x2000+0+0/resize/385x385!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsothebys-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fmedia-desk%2F3a%2F40%2F44c0cc5042028ad15f33384bcda1%2Fl22022-cc55v-01-t1.jpg)
The Charlier and Cortina Collection of Exotic Samurai Helmets and Armour
A fine Myochin school okina somen [full face mask] | Signed Hiroshima ju Ryoei saku (made by Ryoei, a resident of Hiroshima) | Edo period, 18th century
Lot Closed
September 28, 01:10 PM GMT
Estimate
25,000 - 30,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
The Charlier and Cortina Collection of Exotic Samurai Helmets and Armour
A fine Myochin school okina somen [full face mask]
Signed Hiroshima ju Ryoei saku (made by Ryoei, a resident of Hiroshima)
Edo period, 18th century
the russet iron somen formed to resemble the face of an elderly man (okina), hammered with undulating furrowed brow, wrinkles and deeply set eyes, detachable nose plate affixed with rivets, broad yak hair eyebrows, moustache and chin tuft, red lacquer interior, black lacquered true lamellae (honkozane) throat protector with close-spaced lacing (kebiki odoshi) in dark blue braid, stenciled Dutch leather edging, accompanied with a black metal stand as illustrated
22.7 cm., 9 in. long (excluding the throat protector)
Forged in three separate plates joined with hinges: a nose plate, an upper plate for the forehead and a lower plate. The expressive features and white horse hair eye brows and beard are reminiscent of the okina mask worn by noh performers when in role of an old man. The Myochin School armourer Ohara Katsunari was also known by his artist name (go) Ryoei. He moved from Aki in what is now Hiroshima prefecture to Edo where he became particularly well known for his work in metal repoussé (uchidashi).
For a different example of a 17th century Myochin school okina somen , see L. John Anderson et al., Art of Armor: Samurai Armor From The Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection, (Connecticut, 2011), no. 50, pg. 214.