cglog254

Thank you!

Thank you for the information! I had seen similar haidate but I did not know that is what they were indicative of?

That is so cool! I had figured the armor's original owners had above average means from the gilded decoration and the byakudan nuri on the inside of the tare and the inside of the sode. The haidate plates are indeed lacquered iron, but I thought that was standard? Is it something about the layout or construction of the rest of the piece that suggests it was meant to be worn on horseback? I was able to find information on the suneate suggesting horseback riding, but I haven't been able to find any other information on distinguishing armor designed to be worn on horseback and armor designed to be worn on foot. Are there any other distinguishing features that are unique to or indicative of armor designed to be worn on horseback that I should look for?

Thank you for your response! Do you think these details represent anything unique, such as use or status, or are they simply unique personal design choices? Would having extra long frontal kusazuri serve any purpose beyond added protection? What is different about the haidate?

I do not have access to the whole suit at this moment, but I will upload the pictures that were when it first arrived (the helmet and hanbo are the ones I have previously posted about, so I have not re uploaded their pictures here). They are not the best quality as they were not meant for documentation. If you are interested in specific pieces, sections, or require better images of everything all together, I would be glad to take new/better pictures of the whole suit and/or pictures of specific locations or pieces next time I have access to them (Monday). We are working through it piece by piece, so I will likely have more questions on all of it. Your expertise and insight has been invaluable for me and my efforts. The lacquer on the inside of the sode appears to be the same byakudan-nuri as on the plates of the face mask. Thank you so much for your help and let me know if you would prefer better or more specific pictures.

Thank you! I had noted the lack of the kanmuri no ita when comparing it to other kote examples. I am enjoying the multitude of decorative features on these kote. Along with the kirigane, the silk fabric is also very decorative, but it has worn or faded on the exposed parts under the chainmail. The fabric under the plates still has this decoration, and the motif includes small birds. The haidate of this armor has the same fabric decoration. I attached a picture if you are interested.

Hi Uwe, Thank you for your response! Your information is very helpful and it is cool that this appears to be a rarity. The one compartment had not been opened since it came to us, and I was hoping something would be inside... sadly but unsurprisingly it was empty. They very intriguing to me, especially with the gilded interior. Also, do you know of any way to date kote, or is it not reliabbly possible without makers mark or other information?

Hi all, This pair of kote have hijigane that have an internal storage space inside. They have a simple latch and hinge construction, and are gilt on the interior. I have not been able to find any mention of hijigane opening or having compartments within. Is this a common feature? What would have been stored inside the hijigane? Is this construction indicative of a special use, manufacturing timeframe, or other unique feature? I have attached photos of the kote below, as well as close ups of the hijigane (sadly, one is missing but the interior container is still there). Please let me know if you have any information regarding the hijigane or the kote as a whole (anything unique or indicative to a particular time or place) . Thank you for your help!

Piers, thank you for the response and information!

Thank you for your response John. Was the replacement or swapping out of armor features a common practice in the Edo period? I know that armor would often be compsoed of pieces made by multiple different craftsmen at various times, but I lack background knowledge regarding the extent that this occurred and that it applied to even small pieces of the armor. Also, thank you for the image! It makes the guruwa absence much more understandable.

Thank you for your response Piers. Do you know if Byakudan-nuri was a relatively common practice, and if not, is it indicative of the social status of the owner? Is it a particularly difficult technique to utilize? I suspected the tare may not be original to the because of the difference in lacquer (as the metallic sheen seemed like something that would be difficult to achieve). The interior of the hanbo has smudges of black lacquer (which seem to be accidental by there erratic placement and imprinted fingerprints), which seemed to indicate a different skill level in production between the body of the hanbo and the tare.

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could help explain material differences on a hanbo I am working with. The interior of the tare is coated with a metallic copper red material (I think it may be lacquer, but I have not found any examples that have the same sheen/color), and I am curious as to what the material is. It is flaking in some places and it appears that a thin layer of black lacquer is underneath it. The tare coating is also different from the lacquer on the interior of the hanbo itself. Is there a reason for this? Is there a chance the tare are not original to the hanbo, or is a later repair? I am attaching a picture and please let me know if I should send any more examples or angles. Thank you for your help!

That is fascinating. We sadly do not have any guruwa in our collection. Do you know of other examples of hanbo with guruwa/why they were an uncommon feature?

Uwe, thank you for the photo of the mei. Is that kabuto in a private collection? Do the additional pictures reveal anything else about the helmet/hanbo regarding date range or any other unique information? Thank you for all of your help, I will keep updating on my project if people are interested.

Thank you so much! Would love to eventually see the official version