Suit of armour
Category
Arms and armour
Date
1700 - 1750
Materials
Iron, leather, lacquer, silk, gold, silver
Place of origin
Japan
Order this imageCollection
Snowshill Manor and Garden, Gloucestershire
NT 1328775
Summary
Suit of samurai armour (Tatami-Gusoku), comprising a helmet of concentric rings secured with sugake and held with a swivel ring, a 3 plate shikoro all laced green sugake neckguard, a black mempo with yadome, a cuirass of 4 plates russet in kom kebiki with oblong plates joined with mail and mounted on fabric (large embossed dragon applied at centre of breast), kusazuri of similar construction attached with panels of mail, chu-sode of russet plates in kom-kebiki, shimo-kote with black ribbed broad shimo- namban-gusari, kusari haidate, and shino-suneate of blue silk brocade and dark blue cords. 18th - 19th century. Ferrous metal.
Full description
Charles Paget Wade notebook (1340945.3 /SNO.959.3) entry no. 372: 'Suit of Armour. Helmet of black lacquer. The front ‘ϯ’ fluted, with curious raised crown. Small wings & (sketch of helmet here) neck guard. Body composed of oblong lacquered plates of convex form connected by chain. Small shoulder guards. breast has a dragon in repoussé of brass. 3 claws. sleeves & leg guards of plate & chain. Apron all chain. Spear with long straight blade, mother o’pearl shaft. Short sword. fr.Towcester ‘ϯ’ Foot Soldier’s Armour – made to be folded into a small package. 17th Cent.'
Provenance
Purchased by Charles Paget Wade (1883–1956), together with three other Japanese suits of armour, from Percy C. Ashby, Towcester, Northamptonshire, 17 February 1940, for £10 10s; given by Wade to the National Trust, 1951.