様々な兜『戦国時代』

東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>This is a cuirass and helmet from a set of Japanese armor. A raised line runs from top to bottom, with the armor tapering sharply in the center. It looks different from our usual image of Japanese armor. Japanese versions of European armor were popular during the Azuchi-Momoyama period in the late 17th century, as were Western-style suits of armor produced in Japan. The bowl of this helmet it thought to have been imported, while the flared white hair is yak fur. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo period, presented this set of armor to one of his retainers, Sakakibara Yasumasa, just before the Battle of Sekigahara. This armor has a unique atmosphere compared to others. It certainly conveys this era's trend for eye-catching designs.</p><br /><p>This armor was an exotic luxury gift. The samurai warlord who united Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), presented it to one of his most accomplished generals, Sakakibara Yasumasa (1548–1606). The iron breastplate was crafted in Japan in imitation of European armor. The helmet, probably made in Western Europe, is decorated with yak hair, an imported luxury material.</p>

東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>This helmet likely belonged to Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), a powerful samurai warlord who unified Japan under his rule. Known as “The Child of the Sun,” Hideyoshi seems to have imagined himself as a god — pieces of lacquered wood project from the helmet, creating the image of sacred light emanating from the wearer’s head.</p>

東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>This helmet was likely owned by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), the warlord who conquered Japan and became the shogun. The surface is covered in silver leaf, which has since tarnished but would have gleamed brilliantly during battle. The spike rising from the helmet is a visual metaphor for “piercing through the enemy.</p>

東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>The helmet depicts a sea creature called the horned turban, which represents an impenetrable defense because of its thick shell. The breastplate is modeled on European armor, which was adopted by the samurai for its exotic appearance and the protection it offered against spears and muskets.</p>

兜鉢は薄鉄の五枚張りで、その上に鯱の形を和紙で厚く張り抜いてある。全体を厚く漆で塗り固め、口と鼻孔は朱漆塗り。目は金胴の薄板を貼り付け、錏（しころ）は鉄板付盛上札を朱漆塗りとし、その上から黒漆を塗っている。日根野形五段を紫絲威とし、吹返しは一段丸形で、黒漆塗りとして銀の覆輪をめぐらせる。作域は、張り抜き技術、漆仕事にすぐれ、まとまりのよい張懸兜である。