A fine Nimai-do gusoku [armour] | Edo period, late 17th century

The Property of a European Collector

A fine Nimai-do gusoku [armour]

Edo period, late 17^th century 

The suji-bachi kabuto of sixty-two plates with raised ridges, copper-gilt four-stage tehen kanamono, the mabisashi [peak] and fukigaeshi [turnbacks] decorated with stenciled Dutch leather of lions among flowers and vine, the four tiered shikoro of black lacquer and with orange keboki odoshi [close-spaced lacing], the gold lacquer wood maedate in the form of stylised stag antlers, the lacquered iron mempo with mouth agape and detachable nose plate, broad yak bristle moustache and chin tuft, copper-gilt teeth, red lacquer interior, three-tier yodare-gake [throat protector], with nodowa [throat guard] embellished with mon [crests], the do [cuirass] comprising of heavy iron kiritsuke-kozane [false lamellae] with black lacquer plates, the closely spaced orange braid matching all other components, decorated throughout with gilded ogimon [hand fan crests] and nanatsu boshi mon [Seven Luminaries crest], broad seven-tiered sode [shoulder guards], the kote [sleeves] weaved in a dense chirimen gusari [European-style chainmail], six tassets of five-tiered kusazuri [skirt], the lining of the decorated with bands of rippling water, the sunaete decorated in copper-gilt with butterflies and further nanatsu boshi mon, with armour box