A fine hotoke-do gusoku [armour] | The helmet signed Masuda Myochin Minbu Ki no Munesada saku (made by Masuda Myochin Minbu Ki no Munesada) | Edo period, the helmet dated Horyaku mizunoe uma nigatsu kichijitsu (an auspicious day in the 2nd month 1762) | The armour Edo period, 19th century

The Charlier and Cortina Collection of Exotic Samurai Helmets and Armour

A fine hotoke-do gusoku [armour]

The helmet signed Masuda Myochin Minbu Ki no Munesada saku (made by Masuda Myochin Minbu Ki no Munesada)

Edo period, the helmet dated Horyaku mizunoe uma nigatsu kichijitsu (an auspicious day in the 2^nd month 1762)

The armour Edo period, 19^th century

Kabuto [helmet]: the eighteen plate russet iron bowl with large standing rivets (oboshi), terminating in a five-stage copper-gilt tehen kanamono in the form of a stylised lotus flower, the details finely chased and engraved, copper-gilt ornamental strips (shinodare), stenciled Dutch leather peak, the turnbacks similarly decorated and applied with copper-gilt Inaba family crests (mon), copper-gilt ornamental border (fukurin), four-tiered black-lacquer neck guard (shikoro) with close-spaced lacing (kebiki odoshi) in pale green braid, applied with dyed horse hair, gilt-wood forecrest (maedate) in the form of a shachihoko, black and red lacquer details, crystal ball to mouth, gilt metal stylised horns (kuwagata)

Mempo [face mask]: the black lacquered iron face mask forged in ryubu style with noble expression and unwrinkled face, slightly open mouth, detachable nose plate, standing flanges (yadome) to the cheeks, red lacquer interior, three-tiered black lacquer throat protector (yodaregake) laced in matching braid, copper-gilt fittings (kanagu) applied with further Inaba mon, two-tiered neck guard (nodawa) with stenciled leather edging

Do [Cuirass]: the iron standing cuirass with no visible lames (hotoke-do), finely decorated in gold, silver, black and red hiramaki-e, takamaki-e and keuchi on a polished black lacquer ground, with Raijin surrounded by taiko drums and storm clouds, archaic-style sendan no ita and kyubi no ita, eight-tassets of five-tiered skirts (kusazuri), all components with close-spaced lacing in matching braid and with engraved copper-gilt fittings in the form of Inaba mon

Sode and kote [shoulder guards and sleeves]: the four-tiered black lacquer shoulder guards (sode) laced in matching braid, copper-gilt kanagu applied with further Inaba mon, chainmail sleeves (kote) with rectangular openwork to the links

Haidate and sune-ate [thigh guards and shin guards]: the thigh guards of hakama type (bakama haidate) with black lacquer kawara-zane [titled construction] over silk brocade and stenciled leather lining, tsutsu-form shin guards (suneate)

Accoutrements: the amour accompanied by a wooden box for accoutrements, the box containing a wooden storage box for the maedate, two undergarments, a linen undershirt and sash, a yellow silk brocade sash with Inaba mon, a silk and linen hakama with wisteria and dragonfly design on a dark blue ground, suede archer's gloves, cream silk undergarment, an armour surcoat (jinboari ) in Dutch red felt decorated with Inaba mon to the reverse, a further jinboari with Inaba mon in red felt on green silk brocade ground, standard mount with matching mon in gold hiramaki-e, additional sashes, paper signal baton (saihai) and two armour storage boxes