kawari kabuto

[Luc T]

some clans used their own style of armour, some had a typical style of kabuto.

I have a kabuto, made from one single sheet of steel.

Does anyone have an idea about the history of this hachi?

[estcrh]

Luc, it looks like a cast iron temple bell, any more pictures?

 

[Jean]

That's a good find Eric

[Luc T]

it is a temple bell indeed. I saw a very simmilar one in a Japanese collection, also published in 'Spectacular helmets of Japan'

[IanB]

Luc, The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds has a rather distressed example a helmet bowl in the form of a bell. It is made from two plates and all of the applied strips are riveted on with tiny rivets. I dated it to the Momoyama period but it was certainly modified later. I am going into work on Thursday so I will try to get a picture if I get chance.

Ian Bottomley

[Luc T]

thanks Ian.

this one has a mon on the sides. Looks a bit like Hosokawa.

[Luc T]

maybe coincidential, but this bell was ordered by Hosokawa Tadaoki (1563-1645) in honor of his wife who was a Christian. It was made for a church near his castle. In 1613 Christianity became forbidden by the shogunate, and the church was destroyed. This bell survived, and was hidden somewhere in Tadaoki's castle. It's in the collection of the Eisei Bunko Museum.

[myochin]

Hi Luc,

 

Very nice !!

 

There was an incidence when the Toyotomi had a new bell cast with an inscription (forgotten what) which Ieyasu used as an excuse to attack (1st Osaka campaign) & destroy them (2nd Osaka campaign).

There is also the legend of a monk being terrorised by a woman (!!) and who hid inside a bell, the woman out of rage turned into a demon a breathed fire on the bell and the monk died

 

Paul.

[IanB]

Luc, Attached are the images of the bell-shaped helmet in the Royal Armouries collection. As you can see, it has had a bit of a hard life as well as some modifications. It came into the collection with the purchase of a small collection of armour from an early collector so I have no details of its earlier life. I dated it to the Momoyama period. You will see from the interior view that it is made from two plates. What hasn't shown up are the myriad of tiny rivets holding all of the strap-work to the body of the bell. In the upper part are holes that evidently held domed rivets representing the bosses on a bell. At some point these have been removed, the holes filled with lacquer and a lesser number of larger bosses modelled in lacquer - all of which have now fallen off. On the basis of this I suspect it was originally russet. There is no tehen kanamono nor is there any indication it ever had one.

 

Ian Bottomley

[Bugyotsuji]

From what you say and what little the photo shows, it sounds great. Congratulations! Uchidashi, from one single sheet of steel is wonderful, certainly for that whole central section, but surely some things have been attached in places?

[Luc T]

Ian, interesting kabuto. It seems Saiga work to me (mabezashi, jigane, tehen..) , but I can be wrong. Mine isn't, it's rather myochin.

Also interesting is the application on the front, it looks a little like the mon on my kabuto.

Piers, it's entirely one plate, with exeption of the two dragons on top.

[IanB]

Luc, I agree the helmet might be Saiga, but I would have expected the eyebrows to be riveted on rather than embossed if it were. It is annoying that we know so little about the people who made these wonderful helmets, but they seem to have been reluctant to add their signatures to anything that was not a regular helmet. It is the same with masks - some of which must have taken great skill and a lot of time to make yet are unsigned.

Ian Bottomley