Picked up a cool reproduction for display

[anguilla1980]

Hopefully it's not taboo to post about repros in this sub, I did see another thread on the main page that was so I figured why not lol. 

 

I just bought a full suit of samurai armor that appears to be a modern example of gendai katchū associated with the Marutake / Kōnin workshop tradition.

 

The armor came with documentation describing the workshop history and identifying it as a modern handcrafted suit rather than an antique piece. From what I understand, the Marutake workshop began producing armor in the 1970s under Shinobu Tanoue using the art name Kōnin. This suit seems to fall into that lineage and is likely a relatively recent production, somewhere around 2006/7 I believe. 

 

The set appears complete with kabuto, menpō, dō, sode, kote, haidate, suneate, and the yoroi-bitsu storage chest. The chest has a gold inscription and crest on the exterior, which I’m told is typical of modern presentation sets rather than historical armor where signatures were usually hidden.

 

One thing that stood out to me about this workshop, compared to cheaper reproductions, is the materials and construction approach. Marutake armor is generally built using lacquered metal plates, real silk odoshi lacing, and traditional assembly methods rather than the synthetic cords, thin stamped steel, aluminum, or plastic components that are often used in lower-end decorative suits. The fittings and hardware also appear to be properly made rather than cast costume parts, which gives the armor a much more authentic weight and structure.

 

Another interesting aspect of the workshop is that they have produced armor used in Japanese film and television productions. Their work has been used in several historical films and NHK Taiga dramas, including productions such as The Last Samurai and Sekigahara, which I thought was a neat connection between traditional craftsmanship and modern media. Although this example is firmly a collector display piece and not a prop or museum quality recreation. 

 

What really drew me to this one was how cohesive the whole suit is, but most especially, the color palette is spot on to my taste. The lacing, lacquer, and fittings all match well and the overall look is very striking when assembled. It has some light handling and storage wear, but overall presents well. I know it won't be everyones taste as the suit is a bit of a mish-mash of periods/armor types for sort of a greatest hits suit of armor. I paid what I think is a good price so I'm happy with it all around. For me, buying a real katchu would divert funds from other collectables, and I'd rather not be the caretaker for fragile textiles that are hundreds of years old. 

 

I’ll attach a few photos below showing the armor and some close details (sadly the forum won't let me attach the high-res files). I also purchased an armor display stand. I have the perfect spot in my living room for it right next to my sword display. 

 

Edited Monday at 02:43 PM by anguilla1980

[uwe]

Quite nice Alex 👍

Two remarks. One gyoyo is missing and the sode are wrongly attached! 

[anguilla1980]

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

I did notice the missing gyoyo, and I emailed Marutake to enquire about purchasing a replacement (or close matching pair). If I can't source a replacement or set, it honestly won't bother me that much. I don't see much on their website about the artificial ageing/patina process that has been done to mine, but I have read that they offer it. Would be a bit ridiculous to have a brand new looking gyoyo. 

 

Far as how the sode are attached, something did seem off with how they were tied/held up, but admittedly I don't know the right way to attach them yet, so I'll have to research that for when it arrives. 

 

Here are some more images

Edited yesterday at 03:08 AM by anguilla1980

[anguilla1980]

[uwe]

Not bad for a repro!

 

It’s easy with the sode. You only have to make sure that the kōgai kanamono (ornamental plate at the back center) actually pointing backwards. The only problem is that you have ō-sode attached, so you can’t fasten the cord/ cords on the back of the dō because the agemaki no kan is missing (a device on the upper back of the dō). 

[anguilla1980]

After posting this armor originally I ended up digging into it quite a bit deeper, so I thought I would share a short update with some of the things I have learned since then.

 

The biggest clarification is the signature. The gold inscription on the armor chest reads:

 

甲冑師
光忍作
丸武

 

Which translates to “Armor craftsman Mitsunobu made this — Marutake.” The inscription identifies the individual armorer Mitsunobu working within the Marutake workshop founded by Shinobu Tanoue. This means Tanoue was the founder of the workshop rather than the person who made this specific suit.

 

Looking more closely at the construction also helped narrow down the production period. The kabuto liner style, rivet geometry on the helmet plates, the vermilion lacquer interior of the menpō, and the style of the armor chest all correspond most closely with Marutake production from the late 2000s into the early 2010s. The most likely window appears to be roughly 2009–2012, with around 2010–2011 as a reasonable midpoint estimate.

 

I also spent some time studying the construction in a bit more detail. The armor follows the classic Tosei Gusoku configuration, with what appears to be an okegawa-dō cuirass built from horizontal plates and a multi-plate suji-bachi kabuto. The kote, haidate, and suneate also use the traditional splint and chainmail style construction. Based on those details it seems to fall somewhere in the middle of Marutake’s production spectrum, more complex than entry-level display armor but below the high-end museum-level historical replicas.

 

One detail I found interesting is the finish used on the armor. The workshop refers to this type of surface treatment as an “antique finish” (古色仕上げ, koshoku shiage) or sometimes a “period-style finish” (時代風仕上げ, jidai-fū shiage). It is a controlled patination applied during finishing to give the armor a more subdued appearance similar to historical pieces rather than the bright look of newly lacquered armor.