Menpo identification

[jutettsu8]

Hi I would like to ask your opinion on this menpo. It's on my to-buy list. Is this one real?

The seller describes it as being Edo period and with Sendai characteristics. He also said the rope has been replaced.

 

Thank You!

Jonas

 

[Shogun8]

Hi Jonas,

 

I think it's a decent menpo, but I have the following concerns:

• there might have once been ears, which would mean they are now missing (although in the last pic there seems to be a raised ridge running along the edge which would mean that perhaps there were no ears originally). Do you have a close-up of this part of the menpo?
• the odoshi (lacing) has indeed been replaced and in my opinion it's much too bright (I don't think I've ever seen this shade of blue on armour before).

[uwe]

As John said above, it’s a decent menpō which seemingly dates back to the (later) Edo period.
I admit that I can’t comment about the “Sendai characteristics”, since I actually don’t know “Sendai-masks” as such.

The lacing, uhm….frankly spoken, the lacing is not well made, and not just in terms of color!

 

[jutettsu8]

Thank you for the responses John and Uwe, I don't have any extra photos of the raised ridge, but it I believe it is as you said, there used to be ears attached to it. The color of the lacing is indeed quite bright, I initially tought that might have been some changes in brightness or contrast from the phone's camera, but then the last 2 pictures are much much darker, so it could be anything haha (altough it's most likely closer to the bright version of the picture)

 

I know much less about the lacing so I didn't pay attention to that much, now that I look at it some parts do seem rather...messy in comparison to many other examples. 

 

Regarding the "Sendai features" is there a specific style of menpo in that area and by what name would that go? I only know about the Sendai Dou. 

 

Thank you!

Jonas

 

 

 

[uwe]

Hi Jonas,

 

as mentioned above, unfortunately I’m not aware of such type or style. It might be a generic term, like for example Kaga-bō, Etchū-bō or Nara-bō, but I’ve never heard of that (as far as I can remember)…

 

[Luc T]

Sendai men: I think he ment the Tohoku or Kanto, short east Japan  style of menpo.   This one could more or less fit in this group.

 

[uwe]

Yes Luc,

Kanto might fit!

[Shogun8]

So-called Sendai men (or Kanto men) are found on the famous armours of the Date clan and identifying them is a little bit tricky because they're not quite Haruta/Nara nor are they strictly Myochin in terms of design and construction. They can be ryubu or ressei and with or without yadome. The vast majority have bristled moustaches but there are a few without. They're also not terribly common, certainly not as common as typical Nara or Myochin mengu.

[jutettsu8]

I finally decided to purchase it after the seller offered a nice discount because of the missing ears. (altough as by John the raised ridge does seem to make it questionable if there were any ears.) The seller also stated that the color for the cords was too bright and I could change it.

(and just to be sure it passed the magnet test).

 

Are there any good sources on Kanto men?