MID EDO PERIOD TOMOE MON ARMOUR - Item KA001

Designation: 甲種特別貴重 (Kōshu Tokubetsu Kichō)

Price: ¥ 2,800,000

This set is a very complete and high class Gusoku with a Kabuto from the Saotome School of armourers. Specifically, a much rarer seen smith named Saotome Ietoshi, the 5th in the Saotome Genealogy, Ietoshi was documented in the myochin manuscript “Kacchu zufu” which was dated June 17, 1710 which listed Ietoshi as making armour through the Genwa (元和 spanned from July 1615 to February 1624) and Kan’ei periods (寛永 spanned from February 1624 through December 1644) and was manufacturing armour in the Kanto region.

This Gusoko has just passed Koshu Tokubetsu Kicho Certification through the Japanese armour and arms preservation Society in Japan and has passed at one level under Juyo, a really special armour.

This armour comes in the original twin Hitsu armour boxes with original red leather covers showing the Mitudome/Tomoe mon and even has the original labelled edo period Blue Hemp bags of which each individual armour item was packed in for storage in the Hitsu (These are rare to find and very nice to see)

The Dou is a Ni-mai dō with Yokohagi lames, again in Kuro-Urushi which matches the rest of the armour, the Urushi is in very good condition and has the original Kusazuri in Kiritsuke.

The Kabuto is a Zaimei (Signed Saotome Ietoshi) 62 plate Suji-Bachi in Kuro-Urushi with a very elaborate 5-piece Tehen-No-Kanamono, Double Tsunomoto as seen on older Kabuto, 5 Lame Shikoro, Mabezashi featuring Mayu (eyebrows) and Nice large Fukigaeshi with the Mitsudome/ Tomoe Mon. The construction of the Saotome Hachi are superb, the way the Tate-Hagi-No-Ita were constructed are with a curved surface whilst still allowing the internal of the Hachi to be flat, this created a twin skinned helmet with an air gap between the plates which was designed for strength and protection from the Lead balls from the teppō (matchlock firearm) which made a great appearance around the Mid 1500’s and were in mass adoption by the 1600’s which ties in with the bullet proof kabuto as it was made in the mid 1600’s, the Samurai of the time and Armourers found a fast need for bullet proof armour and helmets of which the Saotome smiths managed with this extremely clever plate development on their Kabuto. The Maedate is also from the correct period and not modern and again has the Mitsudome/Tomoe Mon. The Ukebari is also intact and has the viewing window for the Mei. The matching Menpo/Tare is also in great condition with good condition Urushi and has a very pleasing shape.

The Sangu set is also Edo period and matching. One of the nice things about this armour other than the overall condition and accoutrements is that it also has the Uked-zutsu (flag pole holder), Edo period Sashimono-Dake no Koto (bamboo sashimono pole) and Edo period sashimono (Battle Flag).

All in all this is a complete, high quality matched armour with high level certification ready to be displayed and enjoyed as the centrepiece of someone’s collection.

This Full set is designated 甲種特別貴重 (Kōshu Tokubetsu Kichō).

Shipping is available worldwide and ships from here in Japan.