Interesting Menpo

[javier]

 

http://www.giuseppepiva.com/en/works/shokumō-menpō

 

 

Interesting Shokumō menpō.

 

 

Javier

[Bazza]

Must have belonged to the Monkey King!!!

 

BaZZa.

[Justin Grant]

I will post my thoughts, and they are just mine. The odoshi on the tare is "aged" and mucky and dirty. Look at some of the cross-knots and how nasty filthy they are. Now look at the pristine bear fur. Makes you go hummmmm.

 

Makes me think a restoration or change has occurred post original production.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

  On 8/2/2017 at 11:55 AM, Bazza said:

Must have belonged to the Monkey King!!!

 

BaZZa.

 

Methink it's from Ewok Kingdom on Endor wooden moon.

[uwe]

Giuseppe normally knows what he is buying. I have seen an almost totally fur covered armor in an privat collection. Not in this manner, though.....

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

  On 8/4/2017 at 5:53 AM, uwe said:

Giuseppe normally knows what he is buying. 

Indeed. Guess he'll honestly reply to any question about eventual restoration.

[estcrh]

  On 8/2/2017 at 12:45 PM, Justin Grant said:

I will post my thoughts, and they are just mine. The odoshi on the tare is "aged" and mucky and dirty. Look at some of the cross-knots and how nasty filthy they are. Now look at the pristine bear fur. Makes you go hummmmm.

 

Makes me think a restoration or change has occurred post original production.

It is described as being "probably hare"....as in a rabbit type fur....not "bear"...and it does not look "pristine" at all to me.

 

Shokumō menpō

Furred samurai armor mask

Mid to late Edo period

19th century

The mask is built in two parts and the nose can be detached. The entire surface of the menpō and the last plate on the yodarekake is covered with a soft fur, probably hare.

Originally, hair-covered menpō and kabuto were made to protect against the rain, usually using bear-fur, but in this case the surface is intended to be decorative. The most famous armor completely furred is probably the one owned by Katagiri Matsumoto (1556-1615) now at Osaka Castle Museum. A kabuto covered with a similar fur, not bear-fur, was used by Matsudaira Chikatada, and there are not many known suits of armor that bear this kind of surface.