Shoulder Guards (Sode)
While not immediately recognizable as shields, Japanese shoulder guards performed a similar function; they primarily served to protect the wearer against arrows. Here, rows of contrasting white and orange silk lacing connect rows of lacquered iron and leather scales. The lacing arrangement creates a prominent mitsudomoe design, a symbol closely associated with Hachiman, the Japanese god of war and archery.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
