Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868 | Past Exhibitions

Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868


Nimai-Dō Gusoku Armor with Dark Blue and Red Lacing Edo period, 18th century Iron, wood, leather, gold, and lacquer; H. of helmet bowl: 5 1/2 in. (13.9 cm); H. of cuirass: 13 3/4 in. (35 cm) Okazaki City Museum, Aichi Prefecture On view October 21–November 29

This small, luxurious armor was made for a boy: Honda Tadataka (1698–1709), seventh-generation descendant of Honda Tadakatsu (1548–1610). It was modeled after the famous armor worn by Tadakatsu a century earlier and bears the same impressive, three-branched deerhorn side crests on its helmet. The fukigaeshi (turned-back portions of the neck guard) on either side of the helmet are embellished with the Honda family mon (insignia), the tachi-aoi (standing hollyhock), in gold lacquer. Unlike the armor of the first-generation Tadakatsu, which has black lacing throughout, the cuirass and shoulder guards on this armor are laced in dark blue and red; the skirt is also laced in dark blue except for the front-left section, which is laced in red, and the scales are covered in gold leaf. Limiting the use of colored lacing to the front-left section of the skirt occurs on many armors belonging to the Hosokawa family, suggesting a connection between them and the Honda clan.