Samurai Armour No 2 - Late Edo period

Gusoku-type armour with two-part cuirass, braided with rare purple thread.

Helmet: Tetsu kuro urushi nuri (roku-jū-ni) 62-ken koboshi baschi kabuto with menpō and kachimushi maedate (iron).
A high-grade set consisting of a helmet, face mask (menpō), and a front plate - kachimushi. The helmet with 62 iron plates finished in black lacquer (kuro urushi-nuri), featuring prominent raised rivets (koboshi - small stars). Paired with a lacquered menpō and full yodare-kake with long horsehair mustache. Topped with a bold dragonfly (kachimushi) maedate, symbolizing victory and resolve. Likely attributable to the Haruta or early Myōchin school. The piece has excellent form and a strong visual presence, making it highly impressive. An outstanding example of Edo-period samurai armor craftsmanship.

Mask: Tetsu kuro urushi nuri menpo

Maedate: Tetsu kachimushi

Cuirass/Dō: Tetsu tosei ni-mai-do gusoku (kiritsuke ita-zane), kusazuri and sode kiritsuke ko-zane with purple thread lacing (partially renovated).
Purple is neutral colour as it is a mixture of red and black (blue) and is therefore a combination of the elements of in and yō. Yin and yang (in and yō) represent two opposing yet complementary forces of the universe. The combination of these colours creates a sense of spiritual balance — a colour of harmony, nobility, and inner depth.
Purple (murasaki) was often the colour of aristocracy and highranking Samurai — a symbol of balance between strength and wisdom, embodying the union of spiritual restraint (yin) and the active energy of the warrior (yang)

Sangu: Kote, haidate and suneate with kachimushi pattern