New yoroi acquisition

[Bazza]

Ian, your explanation for breaking of the fukigayeshi may well explain why they are broken off my HARUTA YOSHIHISA zunari kabuto.  Knowing where my kabuto came from (an old estate) this helmet likely came to Australia as a souvenir during the Meiji period.

 

Thanks.

BaZZa.

[drl]

On 7/26/2022 at 11:10 AM, IBot said:

I agree with Piers, the shachi looks really good. Although I have no proof, I came to the conclusion that the circular gilded rings / disc maedate that are so common and turn up on so many armours (but without the kuwagata as on yours) were the default maedate, added by the maker or the armour dealer, simply to fill the gap so to speak. The ultimate wearer chosing a more distictive maedate of their own. If this idea is true, your addition of a shachi is exactly what a samurai would have done when he first acquired the armour. The fact that so many armours still have these simple maedate is probably related to the tendancy to remove all traces of kamon, including breaking off the fukigayeshi, that happened when armours were sold to curio dealers in the Meiji era. Removing a distinctive maedate would reduce the possibility of identifying the seller of an armour when so many had to sell their treasures to buy food during the Meiji period.

Ian Bottomley

Ian, what a wonderful insight and a compelling theory—thank you for sharing.  I especially agree with the likelihood that sellers of armor during the Meiji period or beyond would likely have wanted to remove identifying maedate.  

 

The shachi now feels just right, and I can't imagine Hiro (yes, I named him) without it now.