What is this item

[werdna]

Hello,this item was sold in an auction recently along with an unrelated jingasa.it looks like it may have something to do with horse's.it is 29.5cm x 13.5cm.made from leather and felt,the character is tadasho = loyalty,and I think it is an ai jirushi,I have an ashigaru front armor with the same character on it,in the same color but without the ''square'' mon.Can someone identify it

regards

Andrew

[Bugyotsuji]

井桁に忠 Loyalty within a well mouth/frame. The first character of 忠実 Chūjitsu, loyalty.

(Notice the bottom stroke of 中 is deliberately left out of the design.)

[werdna]

30 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

井桁に忠 Loyalty within a well mouth/frame. The first character of 忠実 Chūjitsu, loyalty.

(Notice the bottom stroke of 中 is deliberately left out of the design.)

Hi,is there a reason to leave out the bottom stroke,also,what do you think it is or what it might be.

Andrew

[Bugyotsuji]

The Tada/Chu character is written decoratively, but it would be recognized by other members of the group as being distinctively 'different'.

Since the leather thongs on the back are positioned at either end and in closely-located pairs, I am guessing this was tied onto a headband as a forehead protector (or onto an obi waistband, at the back of the hakama). The material is leather and 羅紗 RAXA Rasha felt, often used for jimbaori, chest protectors etc. Not having seen one exactly like this before, however, I am willing to be shown otherwise. Anyone?

 

I thought of koshi-ate hip pad for a tachi, but the material looks too fragile to hold up to being struck repeatedly by a scabbard.　Search for Tachi no koshi-ate: 太刀の腰当

 

The Kanji character within the 'igeta-well-mouth-at-an-angle' is not as far as I know a famous Kamon, but seems to express both homage and lineage to a family beginning with 井, like Inoue, Ii, Ide, Izutsu, etc.

 

 

[werdna]

Hello Piers,thank you for your help,the information you have provided is excellent.

regards

Andrew