Samurai Arm Guard

Right sleeve of a pair of russet iron, mailed samurai arm guards (kote). The exterior fabric is made of brown silk with orange, white, and green brocade in an flower pattern. The interior fabric is a coarse tan material. The fabrics are joined at an edge made of blue cloth. The sleeve is tightened and tied on the inner arm with burgundy silk cords and an ivory button. The russet iron cap plate (kanmuri-no-ita) at the shoulder is split into three sections. Two dark brown toggles made of horn pierce the central plate, attached with blue silk cord. The upper arm has five hexagonal russet iron plates, each capped with a lighter colored metal flower. Plates are secured to the sleeve with mail (kusari) made of small, circular links. The mail covers nearly the entire outer surface of the sleeve. The elbow plate (hijigane) mimics the hexagonal and flower plates of the upper arm. The lower arm has six ridged, rectangular splints or "rafts" (ikada) set in rows of two, three, and two. A burgundy cord is attached to the sleeve between the lower arm plates and serves to tighten the sleeve using ivory toggles. The hand guard (tekko) is made of three russet iron plates with the thumb being a single, non-articulating plate. The plate protecting the back of the palm has a family crest (mon) of three wild geese (頭合せ三つ雁金) whose wings form a hexagonal border with convex sides and whose heads are positioned toward the center of the crest. Two of the geese face left with their mouths closed and one goose faces right with its mouth open.