Suit of armour
Category
Arms and armour
Date
Unknown
Materials
Gilt, Leather, Metal, Silk, Textile
Place of origin
Japan
Order this imageCollection
Snowshill Manor and Garden, Gloucestershire
NT 1328758
Summary
A suit of Samurai armour consisting of a Helmet (Kabuto), a mask (Mempo) with attached throatguard (Nodowa), two shoulder guards (Stode), a pair of sleeves (Kote) a curiass (Do), thigh armour (Haidate) and shin guards (Suneate).
Full description
Charles Paget Wade notebook entry 367? The Green Room (1340945.3; SNO.MISC.959.3): 'Suit of Armour. Iron Helmet of 22 plates with (sketch of detail alongside) HUKIGAISI large neck guard & wide wings & crest. Mask (sketch of detail here). Back & breast plate of plain MUNEATE vertical plates. The breast plate decorated with a figure. Hammered up in relief set with silver sword ornaments. The figure stands against a flame in red lacquer. A long incised inscription on each side. Large shoulderguards. SODÉ of ‘comb’ from lacquer. Brocade sleeves. KOTE under decorated plates & mail. At apron piece (sketch of detail here) SUNEATE. Leg guards of decorated plate with plate foot piece. The armour has finishings of silver the Blazon many AKA-ODOSI times repeated. Braided Coral Red. Staff or rank with tassel of parchment stripes. Japanese modelled head. The figure holds a long spear.'
Provenance
Purchased from Liberty & Co, Regent Street, London, 8th June 1942 £20 for three sets (A60/66/64). Given to the National Trust with Snowshill Manor in 1951 by Charles Paget Wade.