Suit of samurai armour, Edo period, Japan, 18th century.Steel, leather, cloth and lacquered chain

Suit of samurai armour, Edo period, Japan, 18th century.
Steel, leather, cloth and lacquered chain mail.
Consisting of helmet, mask, breastplate, sleeves, thigh guard, shoulder pads, shin guards, shoes and stirrups.
It comes with its original polychrome wooden storage box.
It has slight faults and wear and tear due to use and the passage of time.
Measurements: 140 x 60 x 50 cm (mounted armour); 54 x 40 x 42 cm (box).
Japanese armour, regardless of its evolution over time, always tried to combine protection with mobility, so that the warrior had an acceptable freedom of movement. For this reason, the "gushoku-shi", the master craftsmen of this art, always sought materials that would allow this balance, such as metal and leather.
The armour we now present consists of a kabuto or steel helmet from which hangs a shikoro neck protector. The mempo (mask covering from nose to chin) is polychrome black and has a moustache. This was intended as facial armour designed in such a way that the heavy helmet could be tied and secured to it by several metal stakes. The breastplate, made of horizontal plates, is covered by a steel mesh, ornamented with embroidered cloth. On its front is the yodare-kake, which protects the fighter's throat. The sleeves (kote) and shin guards (suneate) are made of metal plates. The lower part of the armour consists of haidate or thigh protectors, which were tied around the waist. These combined cloth and small steel and/or leather plates of varying size and shape, usually bound together by chain-mail (kusari) and sewn to the cloth. This example is also accompanied by stirrups and Kogake, the weapon shoe of Japanese armour, designed to cover the foot of the Japanese warrior.
The samurai's interest in distinguished armour arose in the Edo period, a period considered peaceful, also known as the Era of Unbroken Peace (1603-1868). In this period, the absence of war led to less activity on the part of the samurai, who were, however, required to report regularly to the court of the Shogun or army commander. The catwalk or parade that they had to walk until they reached the commander gave rise to a desire to exhibit the samurai's armour as authentic works of art. Thus, the armour became a showcase for the arts of many craftsmen (embroiderers, blacksmiths, weavers, etc.).
At the end of the Heian period (794-1185), the first full armour as we know it today began to appear, made from sheets of iron bound together with strips of leather and silk cords, which again made it possible to increase mobility and lightness. In fact, the manufacture of armour became so complicated that by the 19th century it was considered an independent art, "odoshi-gei". Thus, in the 18th and 19th centuries, armour would include numerous variations designed to reflect the clan and rank to which the warrior wearing it belonged. Special mention should be made of the colours, not only because of their association with certain families but also because of their symbolic content. In fact, the colour white corresponds in Japanese culture to mourning, and if it appeared on a suit of armour it represented the conviction to give up one's life in battle. This progressive complication, however, generated considerable controversy, as the intricacy of the silk and leather weaves made it easy for enemy weapons and projectiles to get caught in them during battle, and their nooks and crannies could harbour mould and parasites.