Iekatsu

As the others have said, its a reproduction, late Showa period, potentially even later. The quality of the "Menpo" is significantly worse and not even close to the real thing.

That Kabuto looks quite interesting, do you have any other images?

Id say it's Momoyama-Early Edo, a relatively low end piece. At some point it was heavily corroded, which did quite a bit of damage and was later cleaned and stabilised.

Tom, This style of kabuto is relatively common, as Uwe mentioned they were mass produced for Okashi-Gusoku (loan Armour) in Kaga and date to the Edo period. The Dou are far less common though, I have seen a couple of partial sets of these Okashi-Gusoku, they tend to be comprised of a simple 6 plate kabuto, Tsubame Hanbo, Hotoke Dou and simple Sangu with rounded plates. Each element is finished in the same lacquer as the helmet and Dou and the Ie-ji (baking fabric) tends to be light blue or tan Asa (hemp) with Mid blue trim. I have attached a couple of images below for reference, note the Haidate (Thigh guards) and Suneate (Shin guards) do not belong to the set. The damage to the Hachi is likely just from neglect, it appears to have rusted through. While not high end items or in good condition there are things to learn from such items, I hope they bring you joy.

Mark, It's a decent looking Ressei me-no-shita men, Nara style. These are relatively common, yours likely dates to mid-late Edo period. The condition is not bad, but there could be rust forming under the cracked lacquer. Uwe did a good write up of the style in the following thread if you want some more information.

Ukebari were most likely expendable in period and were likely replaced multiple times over the helmets lifetime, but that does not change the fact that intact Ukebari are part of the kabuto and should be preserved with it where ever possible. How many period Ukebari in original condition do you think will be around to study in 100 years if these practices continue?

I agree with Uwe, the Hachi looks like it could have some age. Could we please get some images of the front, rear and underside of the Hachi/kabuto and the inside of the Menpo?

If someone wants to study the construction methods there are plently bare Hachi, or kabuto with compromised Ukebari that can be purchased, I am appalled that ranking members of the Japanese armour society are casually advocating vandalism, we are after all only temporary custodians of these objects.

Ruben, The images are a little rough, but I would say it is the same armour that was posted by Luc earlier in the thread.

The above is an armour model from the showa period, it has no bearing on the topic. But in the same search the other components for the armour appear to match.

A common practice does not mean its a good practice, it's generally done with very little care, primarily to facilitate sale. Given that there is a large portion of signed kabuto that do not have windows in the Ukebari it was clearly not a universal practice. A borescope can be inserted through the Tehen to look into the interior without damaging the Ukebari.

I don't think we should be condoning the practice of cutting windows in Ukebari.

Yas, The work was likey massed produced, given the number of extant examples. The same style of Tsuba are also found in Maru-gata and there are also different motifs and bespoke custom peices that appear to come from the same workshop. As for the age, dating anything pre Edo is pretty tricky as there are so few dateable reference points, that said the Kantei points appear to be consistent with the attribution. All the best, Thomas

Yas, The Tsuba you posted with the fox/squirrel and wave motif are not modern, they are early San-mai and utilise stamped plates in their construction (quite often from the same dies). The marks highlighted on the Seppa-dai are actually rivets that hold the plates in place, this variety was likely produced in a single workshop, given the consistency in technique and construction. They are generally attributed to late Muromachi-Momoyama period. Take a look at the following thread for more examples: All the best, Thomas

Hey Luca, I see what you mean, I thought it may have been a partial stamp with a boarder. Kind regards, Thomas