Pikeman's Helmet
Dutch or Flemish, later modified in Japan
Not on view
The introduction of firearms into Japan in the sixteenth century resulted in the limited adoption of European helmets and breastplates, which provided more effective protection against gunfire than traditional Japanese armor. This finely made Dutch helmet, a type called a pot, was adapted for reuse in Japan during the mid- to late seventeenth century by the addition of a Japanese-style brow plate and lacquering of the interior and exterior surfaces. It was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in 1903 as part of Bashford Dean’s private collection, which the Museum purchased in 1904.
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