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Sleeve from a samurai’s ceremonial suit of armour
- on display
- loan
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Description
This suit of armour was made during the peaceful Edo period, when samurai wore armour only on ceremonial occasions, to show off their rank and wealth. It is made of small plates of lacquered metal laced together with silk cords. The armour is tough, flexible and much lighter than a European steel suit. The helmet is older than the rest of the armour: an inscription inside dates it to 1560.
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Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 18th century (1701 - 1800)
- Material and technique
- metal chain mail (kōshi gusari or ‘lattice chain’ type), with corrugated iron, covered in black lacquer, and gilded decoration, laced to lacquered leather with light-blue silk; yellow silk lining
- Dimensions
- suit of armour 146 x 60 x 70 cm max. (height x width x depth)
- Material index
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processed material › metal › iron,processed material › metal › gold,organic › animal › animal product › silk
- Technique index
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covered › metallized › gilded,
- Object type index
- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Lent by the President and Fellows of Magdalen College, University of Oxford.
- Accession no.
- LI358.1.g
Glossary
lacquer
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lacquer
Chinese and Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the lacquer tree, which is indigenous to Eastern China. It is applied to wood as a varnish or for decorative effect. In India and the Middle East, lacquer is made from the deposit of the lac insect.
Location
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Second floor | Room 37 | Japan
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Second floor | Room 37 | Japan
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
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