Adam's FINE ASIAN ART Part II June 30th 2021

33 Fine Asian Art | 29 th & 30 th June 2021 365 .A NATURAL AND LACQUERED WROUGHT IRON SAMURAI SUIT OF ARMOUR OF HATOMUNE DO TYPE, WITH AN OBOSHI KABUTO SIGNED BY HARUTA YOSHI Japan 1. Description of the helmet (kabuto): The kabuto with an unusual shape with large flat hoshis. It is signed by Haruta Yoshi Haru (classed Jo I in the book by Kei Kaneda Chappelear titled “Japanese armor makers for the samuraï”), a blacksmith of the Momoyama period (1575-1603). The helmet bears the mon (family heraldic crest) of Clan Arima. The hachi is made up of six plates, each adorned with twenty seven large flat hoshi. The tehen kanamono is of agedama type (five different levels). The first plate bears an orekugi (a L-shaped metallic piece to hold the maedate). A circular suji delimits the koshimaki and the mabezashi (helmet’s visor), which is of medieval shape and oif nobu style.The ukebari is there in the inner part. The fixation of the of the shinobi noo is ensured by three soft rings (shinobii ne o) of mitsu tsuke type. With a roiro lacquered wrought iron shikoro made up of six plates in kebiki kon ito odoshi (an horizontal night blue lace). The fuki- gaeshi which bear the kanamon au Clan Arima are affixed to the hachi tusko no ita (the first blade of the shikoro). The shikoro is of hineno manju shikoro shape and is affixed to the koshimaki with four hachi tsuke byo and three ties. 2. Description of the mask (mempo): The mempo is of etchu bo type (an iwai work) and is made of natural wrought iron. The indetachable nose is enhanced with a mustache. There are no visible teeth, which is a characteristic of the yoshi ryu style. Its inner part is covered with byakudan lacquer. The yoredake is in the style meguri wa (gusari chain mail). 3. Description of the breastplate (do): The breastplate does comprise two non-articulated plaques. Even the watagami are not articulated. To the back of the do, there is an agemaki no kwan kanamono. There are two rings affixed to the front of the do, the sahai tsuke no kwan (to hang the sahai), the tenugi no kwan. On the lower part of the breastplate is affixed a nameshi gawa on which are seven ranks of yurugi ito with natural wrought iron kusazuri (tassets) grouped by five on each dan in suake kon ito odoshi (with a night blue cord, laced by pair). Two calligraphies are inscribed to the frontal central part of the do, a budhistic pray to the left reading “Hachiman dai bosatsu”, and a shintoist one reading “Amater- asu omikami” and “Kasuga myo kami”. 4. Description of the sangu set: There is a pair of o sode in nerigawa itamono with seven roiroi lacquered plates, with a mixed lace, kebiki and sugake, always kon ito odoshi, en- suring the protection of the kote (sleeves). These kote are of koshu gote type (with three articu- lated plates to the fore arms) and their upper parts are set with plates in uchidashi (almost in the round) with hiri gane. All these pieces are linked together by a chain mail of namban gusaru type. The tekko (hand’s protections) are also worked in uchidashi and are in yubikata and o yubikata type. The natural wrought iron haidate (thigh- high boots) are of hiyo haidate type and of sendai haidate style. The suneate are of shino suneate type (‘lacquered wrought iron plates linked together with a chain mail). The abumi zuri are made of brown lacquered leather. The kabuto is enhanced with a carved and gilt lacquered wooden maedate dated to the Edo period. This suit of armour is sold together with a karabit- su (box) dated to the Edo period and adorned with a family heraldic crest (mon). € 20,000 - 40,000 364 .AN INSCRIBED GOLD-THREAD SAMURAÏ SURCOAT BEARING THE MON OF CLAN DATE Japan, Edo period H: 89 cm - w: 53 cm € 2,000 - 4,000