Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. A Kabuto (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors which, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armor worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. In the Japanese language, the word kabuto is an appellative, not a type description, and can refer to any combat helmet. The design used for samurai helmets evolved over the centuries, and this example is typical of the design seen during the early-to-mid part of the Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai) or Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa jidai) of Japanese history. This is the period between 1603 and 1867, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo.
This example is in tremendous condition for its age, likely dating to the early Edo period, possibly the 18th century. The front visor is inscribed with motifs and a small string of Kanji, which we believe to be a date, but we haven’t been able to translate it completely. From its construction, it appears to be a Suji-Kabuto. This type of ridged helmet was worn by upper-class samurai beginning in the Muromachi period (1392–1573). Bulbous at the back and dipping downward around the central opening at the top of the bowl, its overall shape is known as akoda-nari due to its resemblance to the akoda, a squash-like fruit. This example has three heavy curved plates to the back, the bottom two held on by the intricate system of ropes and laces. There is heavy oxidation across the iron, but it has held up tremendously. When placed on a mannequin head, the curved plates sit correctly and without any serious risk to their structural integrity.
The two side plates have similar motifs to the front visor, and have the same laces in rows. The interior of the helmet shows that the lining has extremely heavy wear, with some pieces very loose with others already having come off. The original long chin-ropes are well-retained, and add another layer of character to the helmet. The helmet is roughly 11 x 15 x 16” when on a head.
One of the most tremendous Kabuto helmets we have offered, and likely the oldest. Comes ready for further research and display!
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