Live Auction 21618Japanese and Korean Art
A FINE BLUE LACING HARAMAKI-DO (BODY ARMOR)
Lot 81

A FINE BLUE LACING HARAMAKI-DO (BODY ARMOR)

MUROMACHI PERIOD (16TH CENTURY)

Closed21 March 2023

Estimate

USD 20,000–30,000

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A FINE BLUE LACING HARAMAKI-DO (BODY ARMOR)
MUROMACHI PERIOD (16TH CENTURY)
The haramaki-do (body armor) of honkozane (small individual scales laced together) laced in blue, the iron munaita (breast portion), waki-ita (under-arm portions) and oshitsuke no ita (upper rear plate) of stenciled leather with gilt edging and fittings, the five-tier seven tasset kusazuri (skirt) of lacquered leather with orange hishinui (cross knotting)

Specialist note

During the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the mounted high-ranking samurai warriors wore o-yoroi while the lighter armored foot soldiers wore either haramaki (a cuirass opening down the back) or domaru (opening on the right side). However with the coming of the Muromachi period (1333-1573) a sudden increase in warfare brought great changes. Much of the fighting was done on foot and the heavy o-yoroi became something of a liability so the lighter do-maru and haramaki of the foot soldier were upgraded to use by the high-ranking samurai warriors. The large o-sode (shoulder guards) were still worn but the helmets were lighter. A mixture of leather and iron lamellae reduced the weight of the do (cuirass)and the wide kusazuri (skirt) allowed freedom of movement for the legs.