Shogun8

This fragility also contributes to their rarity, since so many did not survive. As both Thomas and Piers have said, good period maedate are like the proverbial hen's teeth. Since they rarely appear, there really is no dealer that would "specialize" in them. Kino is your best bet, but even then, you have to be there when one arrives because it's often immediately sold to one of their regular customers. On each trip to Japan, I scour the dealers (including Kino) and antique shops and manage to score the occasional piece. Good luck in your quest!

I think the correct tariff code is 9706.00.00.90 - at least this is the one I have been using for many years without issue.

Hi Krystian, Welcome to the world of katchu! I think you have done very well for your early acquisition and the kabuto and menpo are well-matched. The kabuto is not a common zunari type but I'm not sure what to make of the fixed wakidate. Regarding the shikoro, it's difficult to say whether or not it's original to the hachi, but judging by the fit and style, it seems original to me.

I did not have the privilege of meeting him and only admired from afar his knowledge, erudition, commitment and willingness to share. Nevertheless, his passing is a tremendous shock and his presence and outsized influence will be missed. Life's too short.

Somewhat skimpy proof perhaps, but the fit of the tsunamoto of the maedate with the receiving haraidate lends credence to the theory that the maedate and kamon on the fukigaeshi are original to this kabuto.

Thomas, Indeed, the points you mention could mean that the dou is from the Early Edo and not Momoyama. The kusazuri could be replacements and there might be ana underneath the lacquer (I have a Momoyama dou with removable kusazuri, but there are ana beneath the lacquer which accommodated the original gessan). However, the shape of the oshitsuke-no-ita and the waki-ita flanges (the lack of the central yama shape notwithstanding) and the existence of gangi-shino are consistent with Momoyama dou. To be sure of course, would require a closer examination of all of these - and other - features.

Dating armours is never easy, especially when trying to draw the line between Momoyama and early Edo, since Momoyama was such a relatively short time frame (and hence my comment that this dou "could" be Momoyama). In any event, I was looking at the shape and composition of the mune-ita, the waki-ita, the oshitsuke-no-ita and the shape of the dou itself to form an opinion. In doing so, I would say that the dou isn't "strongly" Momoyama and could also very much be early Edo (first part). After all, who can say if something was made in 1613 vs. 1618?

Looks like you got a great deal!

Indeed, a very nice gusoku and even better that it's published - congrats! Can you post a picture of the catalogue cover?

Hi Lucky, Welcome to the wonderful rabbit hole that we call armour collecting! Nice kabuto! It seems that the ukebari (the cloth liner) is detached near the front of the kabuto. If so, are you able to peel it back and take a picture of the interior construction? That would help with an approximate dating of your kabuto. I will leave it to other members like Uwe or Piers to comment on the mon. John

Thanks for the additional pictures, Adam. After seeing these pictures, I would tend to agree with your statement that this dō could date to the Momoyama, which itself is notable since pre-Edo dō are not common. As well, the extension plate makes it even more interesting and rare, as Uwe mentioned. The condition seems to be quite good, considering! Well done!

Aside from Piers' and Mark's comments and suggestions, I also noticed that the two dō sections on the right are incorrectly overlapped - the rear section should overlap the front section, not the other way around as you have it. Also, do you have pictures of the back of the dō?

WTF???

Very interesting! Do you have a picture of the back of the dou showing the oshitsuke-no-ita?

There is also another theory that this shape references the shape of a hoe used by farmers. As Uwe and Piers have mentioned, this is the most classic of maedate shapes dating back to the earliest yoroi and its variations are innumerable. The kuwagata is still the most iconic shape of samurai armour, recognizable to even those with no knowledge of this field.

Our Sekigahara presentation being given by historian Chris Glenn is fast-approaching on Sunday, September 26th. Chris has hinted that he will even be discussing certain well-known armours used at Japan's greatest battle! There are still many spots available and if you're at all interested in The Battle of Sekigahara, Japanese history or the Japanese Armor Society, please register for the webinar. All are welcome, members and non-members alike! Hoping to see many more new faces on the 26th!

Just a reminder for anyone interested in attending our Sekigahara presentation being given by historian Chris Glenn on Sunday, September 26th, there are still spots available so please register - members and non-members alike!

I'm in total awe of that car - and everything! Congrats! Now all you need is a fine armour to complement the display.

Totally agree with both points Uwe, especially your argument about the Oie-bô and the Etchû-bô, which as you say are so stylistically different. To me, I see more of a stylistic connection between the so-called Kaga-bô and the Oie-bô, given the prominent feature of the piped or raised ridge line along the jawline of the Kaga-bô being a possible ancestor of the unpiped ridge line along the jawline of Oie-bô. As well, many examples of each of these masks also share an extended "back jawline" (not sure what this area below the ear is called), whereas I've never seen this feature on an Etchu-bô.

As Luc mentioned, this menpo is included in Masked Warriors and belongs to Aymeric. According to the book, this menpo is an example of a "3rd variation" Iwai yasurime. I've held it in my hands and the remarkable thing about it is how the nosepiece is flush with the base mask, like how a screw might be countersunk. Alain, I think your menpo would be an example of the so-called "2nd variation".

Mine shares many of the same characteristics as Alain's, including the lack of ase-nagashi-no-ana. No file marks on the teeth. Here's a pic underneath the chin. Besides Alain's very plausible idea that these were made for show or display, I'd like to hear other theories as to why there is no ase-nagashi-no-ana.

Modern and/or repro. The kuwagata and kuwagata dai are all in one piece and even then not fully formed. Even Meiji versions would have the kuwagata as separate pieces to be inserted into the kuwagata dai. This seems to have been stamped from a mold.

Dear All, The Japanese Armour Society is pleased to announce our next webinar presentation scheduled for Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 15H Paris Time. For this presentation, we have a special guest, Chris Glenn who will be presenting an overview of the Battle of Sekigahara, the largest and most important event in Japanese feudal history. This lecture will include specific examples of armour that was used at this great battle and there will be opportunity for Qs & As. Chris Glenn is a Nagoya based, Australian born radio DJ, TV presenter, speaker, narrator, MC, author and historian. Chris is also the Sekigahara Tourism Ambassador, the Nagoya Tourism and Cultural Exchange Ambassador, and the Omi Tourism Ambassador. And last but not least, Chris is a collector of samurai armour and weapons. Needless to say, this lecture is an event not to be missed! Please note that in an effort to publicize the initiatives of the Society, and to provide a sampling of our membership offerings to those outside of the Society who may be interested in our activities and are considering membership, we will be opening this webinar to the general public. However, please note the following requirements: In order to access the webinar, all attendees must have a Zoom account All attendees will be required to register with their real names and country of residence Once their registration has been approved, attendees will be given an access code to the webinar By registering for the webinar, all attendees agree to not make any recordings or screenshots of the presentations All content of the webinar remains the property of the Japanese Armor Society and/or copyright holders of the images contained within the presentations and cannot be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the JAS and/or the copyright holders Please note that the webinar is restricted to 100 persons only, and thus registration/participation will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with JAS members having priority over non-members. When: Sep 26, 2021 03:00 PM Paris Topic: The Battle of Sekigahara Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/registe ... BBvQyd5OBw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Dear All, The Japanese Armour Society is pleased to announce our next webinar presentation scheduled for Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 15H Paris Time. For this presentation, we have a special guest, Chris Glenn who will be presenting an overview of the Battle of Sekigahara, the largest and most important event in Japanese feudal history. This lecture will include specific examples of armour that was used at this great battle and there will be opportunity for Qs & As. Chris Glenn is a Nagoya based, Australian born radio DJ, TV presenter, speaker, narrator, MC, author and historian. Chris is also the Sekigahara Tourism Ambassador, the Nagoya Tourism and Cultural Exchange Ambassador, and the Omi Tourism Ambassador. And last but not least, Chris is a collector of samurai armour and weapons. Needless to say, this lecture is an event not to be missed! Please note that in an effort to publicize the initiatives of the Society, and to provide a sampling of our membership offerings to those outside of the Society who may be interested in our activities and are considering membership, we will be opening this webinar to the general public. However, please note the following requirements: In order to access the webinar, all attendees must have a Zoom account All attendees will be required to register with their real names and country of residence Once their registration has been approved, attendees will be given an access code to the webinar By registering for the webinar, all attendees agree to not make any recordings or screenshots of the presentations All content of the webinar remains the property of the Japanese Armor Society and/or copyright holders of the images contained within the presentations and cannot be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the JAS and/or the copyright holders Please note that the webinar is restricted to 100 persons only, and thus registration/participation will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with JAS members having priority over non-members. When: Sep 26, 2021 03:00 PM Paris Topic: The Battle of Sekigahara Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/registe ... BBvQyd5OBw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.