Yoroi,Armor laced with White Thread (Unohanaodoshi-O-yoroi)
| Area | Art |
|---|---|
| Collection name | |
| Age | The Edo period (1603-1868) |
| Century | The 19th century |
| Creator | |
| Pronunciation of the creator’s name | |
| Date (year, month, day) | |
| Year (Christian Era) | |
| Volume | One set |
| Material | |
| Size | 32.0 tall (body) and 13.5 tall (helmet) |
| Designation |
Explanation
This work is a large suit of revival style armor that was in fashion after the mid-Edo period. Revival style is the general name of armor modelled on the o-yoroi armor, do-maru armor (body wrap) and haramaki armor (stomach wrap) from the Heian period (794-1185) to the Muromachi period (1392-1573). This work was created in the late Edo period and was handed down to the Matsudaira family, the lord of the Akashi domain. The warrior’s helmet was reused an old helmet's bowl that was produced in the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The warrior’s helmet has shikoro (parts that hang around the helmet's bowl and protect the neck), kuwagata (a decorative form of a stag beetle attached in front of a helmet). And on the hukikaeshi (parts that secured visibility and folded in front of the surface to protect the cheeks) the wild ginger trefoil coat of arms of the Tokugawa clan applied to it. The top of the helmet's bowl is adorned with a lion ornament. Peony-patterned metal fittings by the elaborate metalworking are performed to many parts. Their workmanship is outstandingly breathtaking. This is considered to be a valuable piece of work showing excellent metalworking techniques.
The shapes of the stag beetle , the lion ornament, sendan-no-ita (protective gear to protect right breast) and kyubi-no-ita (protective gear to protect left breast) of this o-yoroi armor can be considered to have been modelled on the o-yoroi armor that is said to have been worn by Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the possession of Kurama-dera Temple (Kyoto). Kurama-dera Temple's o-yoroi armor was introduced in Shukojissyu (compiled by Matsudaira Sadanobu). Unfortunately that burned.
(The Second Collection of Works in the Possession of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History, 2002, written by Ryosuke Matsui)