Japanese Yokohagi Okegawa Do Gusoku Suit of Armor with a Momonari helmet.
Date: Momoyama-early Edo period. 17th century.
Note: Similar russet Do is illustrated in the “Japanese Armor, the Galeno Collection”, page 34.
More phtos available on request.
Price: U.S.$15,000.
The helmet of “Momonari”(peach-shaped) type took their inspiration from the cabassets worn by the Europeans who arrived in Japan during the 1550’s. Japanese imported much European armor in the 2nd half of the 16th century.
However, as it was very expensive and of a limited supply, Japanese armourers both produced realistic copies and devised new styles inspired by the foreign models. The longest lasting of these creations was the momonari kabuto, a style that was simple to make and efficient in use since it had a shape that readily deflected sword cuts. This fine example in russet steel is made from six plates. The crown is made up of four overlapping plates, two on each side. The front plates were made thicker to stop bullets. Two additional plates form the base of the crown and the visor. The helmet comes with an attachment for decoration.

Maedate
A fierce rabbit of carve wood in gilt with inlayed amber eyes and ears of whale bayleen.
Unsigned

Yokohagi okegawa do - A d? of narrow, horizontal plates fastened by countersunk rivets. Named after its supposed resemblance to a coopered bucket. The d? is a superb example of a yokohagi okegawa ni mai (two layers) d? in russet steel. The armourer has shaped the front plates with a pronounced medial ridge, leaving the nakagawa (those plates encircling the body flat. The medial ridge again speaks to a European influence. This d? is designed to deflect and stop bullets.

To help support the weight, the do has been fitted with renjaku: heavy silk cords that pass over the shoulders under the shoulder straps to emerge through the eyeleted holes in the lower front where they were tied together. It is thought that the elasticity of these cords lifted the do off the shoulders and acted as a form of spring suspension when riding or walking. They may also have the added advantage of allowing the wearer to adjust the fit and relieve some of the weight off the hips. The d? is completed by gessan in seven sections, sugake laced in medium blue silk.
Haidate (an armoured divided apron worn to protect the thighs) is of russet chain mail with the Honda name on gold paper under the mail.

The armour is completed by a russet sode, which are an integral part of a russet shino gote (armoured sleeves having the forearm protected by long narrow splints and matching russet shino suneate (shin guards made up of long narrow splints.) This unusual style of sode may have been custom made for fighting from horse-back as this style is more aerodynamic and doesn’t bounce around.
Shino - a long narrow, splint-like plate. The name literally means “rice straw”.

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