A Honkozane nimai-do gusoku [armour] | The kabuto signed Joshu ju Saotome Ieharu | Edo period, late 17th century

The Property of a European Collector

A Honkozane nimai-do gusoku [armour]

The kabuto signed Joshu ju Saotome Ieharu

Edo period, late 17^th century 

the suji-bachi of twenty-four plates with raised ridges, fitted with gilt-metal fukurin and igaki pierced with boar's eyes (inome), rising into a five-stage chrysanthemum tehen-kanamon, the large fukigaeshi [turnbacks] and mabisashi [peak] decorated in stenciled Dutch leather, the four tier shikoro [neck guard] with kebiki odoshi [close-laced] in blue braid, the kuwagata-dai [stylised horns fixture] chased, engraved and applied with chrysanthemum heads among pierced foliated scrolls and boar's eye, copper kuwagata, the later gold lacquer maedate [forecrest] in the form of a shishi, the helmet signed Joshu ju Saotome Ieharu (Saotome Ieharu from Hitachi Province), the iron mempo with mouth agape and detachable nose, horse hair bristle moustache, gilded teeth, three-tier yodare-gake [throat protector], leather lined interior, the do [cuirass] comprising two sections all in iron honkozane [true lamellae], embellished with gilt and bronze tachibana mon [mandarin flower crests], broad six tier sode [shoulder guards], chainmail kote [sleeves], seven tassets of five-tiered kusazuri [skirt], the lining of underskirt decorated with interlocking geometric floral patterns in gold brocade, the shino sunaete [shin guards] in black lacquer with exposed gilt leather lining to the inner shin, with two armour boxes