Samurai Helmet

Black-lacquered iron 24-plate samurai helmet with vertical ridges (tetsu kuro urushi nuri ni-ju-yon ken suji tate-bachi kabuto). The entire helmet bowl is coated in black lacquer, however much of it is in poor condition revealing the rusted metal beneath. A metal five-tiered fixture (tehen-no-kanamono) sits atop the helmet bowl. The first tier of the tehen-no-kanamono is etched with chrysanthemum flowers while the other tiers simulate chrysanthemum petals. A large ring is attached to the back of the helmet. The protective metal visor (mabizashi) is attached to the helmet bowl with three large, flattened rivets. The visor is covered with faded, stenciled leather and has a metal molding (fukurin) around the rim. The light blue (ukebari) helmet lining is intact and a dark blue helmet cord is attached.

A five lame, ko-manju style neck guard (shikoro) is attached to the helmet bowl with eight rivets, separated into four pairs. Each lame is made of a single iron plate (ita-mono) coated with black lacquer and connects to the next lame with faded blue silk lacing in the sugake-odoshi style. The bottom lame showcases a row of tweed lacing above a bottom row of faded orange lacing in a cross knot pattern. Tweed laces also line the left and right edges of each lame. Two wide, forward-facing wings (fukigaeshi) emerge from the top lame of the neck guard. The inner section is covered with stenciled leather, with two ridged, bullet-shaped rivets at the top. The outer sections of the fukigaeshi are lacquered in black and repeat the same lacing pattern of the lowest lame of the shikoro. Each fukigaeshi bears a small, round crest of three bamboo leaves encircled by more bamboo leaves with the negative spaces between leaves punched out. The crest may be that of the Takenaka clan.