Luc T

Al least, we all agree about one thing: It is a Japanese helmet!

Ian, first point of interest to determine a kabuto is the kabuto itself. The mei can only be a confirmation or another question. The hachi in the Met was seen as a Haruta by Sasama. The details of the , yes, zunari confirm this, no matter what Sasama said. This mei is very close to the mei on Mark’s kabuto. Compare Marks kabuto with the early edo Haruta, as there are Katsusada. Fujiwara and Yamato are names often found in Haruta mei, as you know. Honorary titles, marketing...whatever. Am I sure? Never. But I am sure that I am close. I respect your opinion of course, but what school do you think it is?

thanks Mark. I was hoping that the original mabezashi was reused. Unfortunately, it is later version. Sasama's Katchushi Meikan is a bit outdated at some points. A jo I rated armorer is seen as a very good smith. (chu i = good, jojo I = exellent, Sai jo I = superb)

here it is Uwe. Maybe we can ask a picture on Markus?

Btw, I have the impression that only 30% of the early Haruta smiths are recorded. They are worth a serious study, but he surviving written sources are scarce. On the other hand, they are relatively easy to place in time, due to their evolution from the muromachi till mid edo period.

Uwe, it is a zunari, with some remarcable Haruta looking kirigane.

Here the mei from a Yamato Fujiwara Ietsugu. Also Tameshigiri. Metropolitan museum

Mark, do you have a picture of the mabezashi?

Yamato: Haruta, Iwai or Neo school.

It seems To be a kabuto from the Yamato Haruta. I suppose early edo. Why? Shape and signature. State of the koshimaki.

The collections are the property of high esteemed JAS members. Top collectors!

Thaks guys, much appreciated!

I can only repeat Uwe and Ian. Permanent wakidate are very unusual. Buyer beware...

Does someone know who we can contact from the Usa token societies? There must be important armor-collectors in the States, not?

I think I am older...

sorry, the picture was a bit small

Our 2019 Yearbook received very good critics from our members, who got it for free as a reward for their loyal membership. Also this year, there are some very interesting and even indispensable articles for the serious armor collector. *Robert Burawoy: Ichiro and Ryotaro Fukutake, "the encouter with a contemporary armourer" *Jan Petterson: "the Yonezawa Matchlock" *Takemura Masao: "Momonari kabuto; their Cronology and local characteristics". … and more information about the Katchu-world. We still have some spare copies, so we are offering them now to non JAS members for the price of 50€ plus shipping 5€ please mail us to order: Jas@Japanese-armor.org

I would also say meiji. But a good quality tourist or boys festival product. It is a copy of a kamakura era kabuto, the archaic but heroic era of the samurai.

Brian, I have a vintage flyer somewhere from this firm, I will post it when I find it. They started working for the movie-companies in Japan. The interest for the samurai increased in the seventies and eighties, more and more people wanted a kind of 'relic' from this culture. Some of those movie prop katchushi were really good, and became famous., One of them, Ototsugu, was even listed in Sasama's Shin Katchushi Meikan. His work is sold for millions of Yen nowadays.

Indeed, this is a modern armor. Made by a company that started making movie props for Kurosawa and co in the 70-80’.

That’s why I think that the nomenclature is a not so important and subjective. It changes over the years, and this evolution is still going on. It is more interesting to know where to situate the item in time and region. On the other hand, the ‘hour of the dog’ is a poetic description.

John, the applications, or kirigane have a long history. Your kabuto looks like an edo , west Japanese item. The school? Only a few schools used kirigane, and according the style of the hachi, I think you have a nice Haruta helmet in your collection.

Not cheap, but a very interestin sword indeed! Good luck!

Indeed, mr Peter Janssens museum becomes the Mekka for samurai-arts here in Europe. It does me thinking on the huge collections, founded by some nobles at the end of the 19th century. I can only recommend it.

Thanks for sharing Bazza. Most of those tombs are found on Kyushu. But the state of preservation is really exeptional.