uwe

For completeness “大阪住高橋秀次” (Ōsaka jū Takahashi Hidetsugu).

Here you go (from Sesko‘s): AKISUKE (明督), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tottori – “Shikon Akisuke” (士魂明督), real name Yata Monji (矢田門二), born August 26th 1899, he was working as a swordsmith from about 1942 onwards, the prefix shikon (士魂) means “Samurai spirit” (see picture right)

上野 and 助包 Moriyama San was faster…

It reads “蘭々亭一柳友随” (Ranrantei Ichiryū Tomoyuki + kao)

Wrong approach, IMHO…

I’m with Piers, might be an earlier piece! How is the shikoro looking?

Best I can imagin is an oddly written "久光" (Hisamitsu)??

Last kanji is hard to spot, but I would go for "東備岡山住青江氏春" (Tōbi Okayama-jū Aoe Ujiharu). Date might be "明治囗年二月日". Not sure about the third character. Maybe 二 ?

Hi Jon, menpō can be divided in several types with quality ranging from average to piece of art. Unfortunately not much is written on the subject, even though they represent an interesting collecting field in their own right. However, back to your piece. Hmm, how should I put it….well, it looks very odd! The mask pretends to be a ryūbu-men (mask with calm expression, usually without wrinkles). Actually, some features in the design and workmanship are raising doubts that we are dealing with a real menpō in this case. That is also true for the throat guard (called “tare”). Nodowa is a different piece of armor! We can go through step by step if you like, later on?!

Kind of “Kawara haidate” maybe (roof tile). Not associated to a specific time span, I guess.

It reads “岡田兼定作” (Okada Kanesada saku). Oh, Piers has beaten me…

Very nice….yes, I’m interested! Maybe you can post some pictures of the whole armor!?

Not easy to date, but my gut feeling says mid to, more likely, late Edo period… A nice add on are also the kirigane (ornamental cut iron plates) bordering the upper edges of the hand guards (tekkō). The construction of the upper part of the sleeves is, however, rather unusual. They are made without the common horizontal top plate (kanmuri no ita).

Hi Charles, one can find these compartments from time to time on the forearm of some kote. Oda-gote /Fukube-gote for example. In these cases, mostly the hyôtan-gane are designed to be opened. Often used for storing medicines, but also other things are imaginable. Recently I saw a pair of kote in which writing materials were stored on the left sleeve (ink stone and pen)… However, it remains a rare feature and I’ve to admit that I never encountered one on a hijigane…very cool!

Depends on the “original” condition and in the other case the restoration (scope and quality of the work…materials used…etc).