Kabuto Gloss Levels

[md02geist]

How glossy did kabuto get?

 

I have seen lots of matte variants but also recall seeing some fairly shiny ones.

[IanB]

Rob,  A lot of what you see as matte lacquer is really light damaged. See: www.hakuminurushi.com/conservation/light.htm  One of the conservation techniques used on lacquer in this condition is to wipe on a coating of raw lacquer to consolidate the original surface and restore the lustre. Having said that some original surfaces were left semi matte deliberately for the simple reason that it didn't show fingermarks. I'm sure a lot of saya were given textured finishes for exactly the same reason. Sakakibara Kozan in his book on armour talks about high gloss lacquer applied with tissue and no doubt some armours were finished this way. 

Ian Bottomley

[estcrh]

How glossy did kabuto get?

 

I have seen lots of matte variants but also recall seeing some fairly shiny ones.

Your usually looking at an old kabuto that has some level of damage to the lacquer, here is a newly restored zunari kabuto.

 

[md02geist]

Is that fairly accurate as to how it would have looked originally? I didn't realize they were that shiny.

[estcrh]

Is that fairly accurate as to how it would have looked originally? I didn't realize they were that shiny.

Since we do not have any photographs from that time period that can show what you are asking about we can only assume that it was possible for some types of armors to be this shiny, based on what can be done using basicilly the same materials that were available to Japanese armor makers during the Edo period and earlier. The zunari kabuto would be a good candidate due to having a lot of flat surface, some other styles would not be this reflective I think.

 

A few years ago at the San Francisco sword show I saw a kabuto that I assumed had been restored, the black lacquer was that shiny. The owner assured me that it was original and old, when looked at very closely you you could see a few flaws, it must have been stored very carefully.

 

Another zunari example.

[DaveT]

Urushi dries to a gloss. But that can be controlled. There is a process of applying layers which involve polishing, each time a layer is applied the polishing compounds become finer. The finial coats are wiped on and off and polished with powder. These final stages produce a mirror like gloss.

Matt or a dulled finish is common to most armours and was preferred, the bright gloss ones have just received the extra final steps. As Ian B has said, if you read Sakakibara Kozan.

Older armours have been exposed to UV, this damages the surface and creates micro-pits which allow dirt to anchor too. When you polish old urushi you basically remove the dirt and the original finish will come up, thats why old armours can appear to look new.
Sometimes you see a discolouration between the exposed to sunlight areas. Always check behind the lacing.

Another thing to note is that many late edo period items only had a very thin layer of urushi applied, black urushi is still slightly translucent and when the upper layers are damaged you can see through them which creates a misty brown.

 

[uwe]

.........Another thing to note is that many late edo period items only had a very thin layer of urushi applied, black urushi is still slightly translucent and when the upper layers are damaged you can see through them which creates a misty brown.

 

Ah, that's the reason why my old "kuro urushi nuri gusoku" appears brown instead!