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Kabuto (Japanese Samurai Helmet)

The Changes of Kabuto

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These samurai helmets came into use in the Heian period (794-1185 A.D), and their shapes evolved with the changing times and battle techniques. Originally, helmets were used as protectors for the head in combat, but later they became symbols of the warriors' wishes, personalities, and beliefs. Those helmets which combined beauty and utility were made using elaborate craft techniques. This section introduces the evolution of Japanese helmets including the classic "hoshi-kabuto" and "suji-kabuto" of the Middle Ages, the unique helmets of eccentric design that flourished in the Warring States period (mid-15th to mid-16th century), and the grand nostalgic helmets of feudal lords in the Edo period (1603-1867).

11th - 16th Century (The Heian Period to the Muromachi Periods)

The Birth of "hoshi-kabuto" and "suji-kabuto"

Japanese samurai helmets originated around the 10th century with the emergence of the samurai warrior and are believed to have taken root to some extent in the 12th century. The helmets, used by horse-riding warriors wearing large armor in the Heian and the Kamakura periods (1185-1333), were called "hoshi-kabuto" (star helmets). Hoshi-kabuto were made of steel plates that were joined and riveted together from the back, and were so named because the protrusions of the tack heads resembled stars. The number of joined iron plates increased as the period progressed, and by the middle of the Kamakura period, they numbered between 20 and 30. From the Nanbokucho period through the Muromachi period (1336-1573), "dōmaru" style and "haramaki" style armor of only torso, which were suitable for fighting on foot, became the mainstream. With those changes, the more lightweight suji-kabuto, a helmet made of iron plates with flat rivets, appeared. High ranking samurai decorated their helmets with gorgeous ornamentation, such as gilding the joint lines of the crowns or attaching hoe-shaped front ornaments. In the late Muromachi period, the "akodanari" style, in which the top of the crown is low and the front and back overhang, was favored.



平安時代（11世紀）／東京都足立区伊興町の経塚遺跡から出土した星兜鉢。本来の鉢の裾に高さ約４㎝の帯状鉄板をめぐらせて鉢を拡大する改造が行われている。元来の鉢は、内径20cm程で、台形の鉄板10枚を張り合わせた古様のものであったと考えられる。

平安時代（12世紀）／福島県郡山出土。台形の鉄板10枚を星とよばれる鋲で張合わせて形成した兜鉢。鉢が小形で浅い点、星が大きく厳めしい点、髻 （もとどり）を出す頂辺の孔が大きい点など平安時代のなかでも特に古いと考えられる形式を示す。

平安時代（末期）／三重県四日市市鵜森神社所蔵。鉄板を矧（は）ぎ合わせ、黒漆塗を施した十六間四方白の星鉢。鎬垂（しのだれ）は前に三条を垂れて星を打ち、正面には花先形（はなさきがた）の眉庇（まびさし）を付ける。時代の特色が著しい平安時代末期を下らぬ希有の遺品。鎌倉時代の響孔（きょうこう）、南北朝以降の忍緒付鐶（しのびおつきかん）があり、永く相伝使用されていた。

The [hoshikabuto] style of helmet bowl is characterized by large rivets that fix iron plates together to create the helmet's shape. It was popular in the medieval era until about the 14th century.

Japanese armor that wraps around the wearer's body and fastens together on the right-hand side is known as domaru-type. The kusazuri, or the skirt-like part protecting the lower body, is divided into eight sections to enable the legs to move freely. This suit is also furnished with a helmet and arm guards. It is highly-renowned as a representative example of domaru armor.The helmet bowl is covered with copper-plated lines. The front portion is hoe-shaped, crowned to the left and right, while a sun ornament sits in between. The base of the horns and the metal fittings on the cuirass and sleeves are adorned with ornate engravings to give the armor an even more resplendent air.Let's take a closer look at the metal fittings. Small dots have been hammered onto the background of the fittings in a style known as nanako, so named for its resemblance to fish roe. The fittings have been finished with free-flowing arabesque designs and crests of paulownia flowers and leaves. Rivets have been fitted at strategic places and their tops are also adorned with paulownia crests. Paulownia arabesque openwork is also applied to the metal fittings of the helmet and arm guards.The main body section of the armor consists of black-lacquered iron plates threaded together with plaited cord composed of dark-blue and red threads. All in all, this is one of the most elaborate, highly-crafted sets of armor from the Muromachi period.

This type of armor was popular during the Muromachi period. It is designed for ease of movement, thus making it ideal for fighting on foot. The cuirass closes under the right arm, while the kusazuri, the skirt-like part protecting the waist and thigh area, is divided into several smaller sections. This style of armor is called domaru. Small leather or iron platelets known as kozane, which look like the reeds of wind instruments, are bound together to form the section covering the torso, waist and shoulders. The practice of binding these kozane together using thread or leather cord is known as odoshi. This armor is striking for the colorful nature of the odoshi, with the platelets tied together using white and red cords or with black leather lacing dyed an indigo blue. These shifting colors form triangular patterns or diagonal lines. This dazzling design must have stood out magnificently on the field of battle.

室町時代（15世紀）

室町時代（15世紀）

室町時代（16世紀）

16th - 17th Century (The Azuchi-Momoyama Period to the Early Edo Period)

Various types of uniquely shaped helmets proliferated

During the Warring States period (mid-15th to mid-16th century), demand for helmets increased, and helmets with shapes that were easier to make on a large scale, such as "zu-nari" (head-shaped) and "momo-nari" (peach-shaped) helmets, became widespread. In the late Warring States period, group battles took place using spears and guns, and a new type of armor called "tōsei-gusoku", which was sturdier and easier to move in, appeared. Along with these changes, helmets also underwent a major transformation, and warriors began to sport oddly shaped helmets with elaborate and eccentric designs in order to assert their presence on the battlefield or to intimidate the enemy. Many helmets were made using a technique called "harikake", in which the shapes were made with Japanese paper or leather on iron plates. Crowns and front ornaments were made in the shape of various objects, such as animals, plants, and headgears other than helmets.



安土桃山時代（16世紀）／朱塗の胴の意匠が、金剛力士像の体躯を連想させる仁王胴具足。兜は、糟毛（かすげ、灰色に少し白い毛がまじった馬の毛）を鉢全体に植え、後ろに髻を結って人の髪型のようにした「野郎頭」と称するもの。

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.This armor reflects exchange between Japan and other countries from the late 16th to the early 17th centuries. Both the iron helmet and cuirass are in a European style.

This armor incorporates a Western-style design. The helmet is decorated with rabbit ear-shaped ornaments.This gusoku-type armor features a cuirass modelled on European armor. It is a valuable early example of the European-style Japanese armor that was popular during the Warring States period.The set is completed by arm guards, thigh-and-knee guards, and shin guards.The European-style cuirass is made of two large repoussed iron plates on the front and back. The Chinese character for heaven, is embossed on the front in the center. A skull design is on the right breast while the shape of Mount Fuji is embossed on the back. This creates a surprisingly modern look together with the jet-black ground.The helmet bowl is also made from a repoussed iron plate. The front is adorned with ornamentation in the shape of the moon and rabbit ears. This type of decorative helmet is known as a kawari kabuto. Its unusual, elaborately-wrought shape is certainly worthy of note.The bottom plates of the face guard and the neck guard also feature a dragon-in-clouds pattern rendered in gold maki-e lacquer. This lends an opulent air to this modern-looking suit of armor. It is said the armor belonged to Akechi Mitsuharu, a senior vassal of Akechi Mitsuhide, a general during the Warring States period.

安土桃山～江戸時代（16～17世紀）／ホタテガイ（板谷貝）の形を模した朱漆塗の変わり兜。変わり兜の中には、サザエやホタテガイなどの貝をモチーフにしたものもみられる。

Flamboyant helmets became popular in the 16th century. They may have helped generals stand out on the battlefield and rally their troops.

安土桃山～江戸時代（16～17世紀）／筋兜は、鉄板の数により何間の兜と呼び、本作は六十二の鉄板数から六十二間となる。吹返には牧野家伝来を示す三ツ柏紋が施され、前立は煉革に金箔を押した大三日月が置かれている。

安土桃山～江戸時代（16～17世紀）／六十二間の筋兜の代表的なものの一つ。兜鉢の周囲に取り付けられた錣は、金漆塗りの地に古代紫糸を切付小札（こざね）で五段に威（おど）しており、装飾物の脇立には、木彫に金箔を押した鹿角型のものを置いている。信州の松代城主真田家伝来。

安土桃山～江戸時代（16～17世紀）／徳川家康から初代水戸藩主となった子の頼房に伝えられた兜。鉢の上に革製の湾曲した一の谷と呼ばれる頭立（ずだて）を設け、後立に檜製の長大な大釘の立物を挿す。全体を銀箔押しとし、しころは白糸威。釘は物をよく打ち抜く意を表現したものであるといわれる。

安土桃山～江戸時代（16～17世紀）／板札を金箔押しとし、紫・紅・萌黄（もえぎ）・紺・白糸で威した色々糸威の具足。兜は鉢に熊毛を植え、正面に眉や皺を打出す。華やかな色彩感と、リアルで奇抜な表現が独特の迫力を生み出している。

安土桃山～江戸時代（16～17世紀）／桐製黒漆の大きな水牛の角を象 （かたど）った立物が兜の両側に高く突き出し、胴・小手・草摺など総体に熊の毛を植え付け、黒糸で威した具足。全身真黒の中に、真紅の面頬がいかにも鮮やかである。

This exquisite armor is composed of small golden plates and red braids. By varying the braiding pattern, paulownia crests have been skilfully rendered on the sleeves.

安土桃山～江戸時代（17世紀）／元和２年(1616)、徳川家康の遺品として尾張徳川家へ譲られた16領の同形の具足のうちの１領と考えられている。紅・白・縹（はなだ）・紺の色々糸威の具足で、兜の吹返や草摺の裾板に桐文の蒔絵を施す。

The helmet has stylized bear ears, while other parts of the armor are covered in bear fur. Samurai liked to incorporate strong or agile animals into the designs of their armor.

It is said this armor was used by Tokugawa Yoshinao during the Siege of Osaka, which lasted from 1614 to 1615. Yoshinao was the founder of the Owari-Tokugawa house and the ninth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the military warlord who founded the Edo shogunate. The small silver platelets protecting the body area are threaded together with white-silk lacing. They must have shone vividly when the armor was first made. The unconventional helmet is shaped like the type of cap worn by government officials in ancient China.Japanese armor changed greatly during the constant fighting of the 16th century. Armor was now designed to protect the whole body, and included a cuirass for the upper body, a helmet for the head, arm guards, thigh-and-knee guards, and shin guards. These parts also featured colored lacing and designs. This type of matching armor is known as “tosei-gusoku,” a name that means “modern armor.” The name was created to differentiate it from “mukashi-gusoku,” or “old-style(d) armor,” which was used up until the 16th century. Tosei-gusoku became the prevalent form of armor during the Edo period. The major parts of this set feature a unified color scheme of silver and white. This lends the armor an orderly, refined air. As this armor also shows, tosei-gusoku sets are often distinguished by the elaborate design of their helmets.

This suit of armor belonged to Sakakibara Yasumasa, one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's loyal generals. In addition to the standard cuirass and helmet, it also features parts protecting the arms, knees, and shins. These were previously unheard of, but this type of all-body protection became the norm during the Edo period. The cuirass is coated with a glossy coat of black lacquer and features a silver dragon motif. The kusazuri, or the skirt-like part protecting the thigh area, also features a wave design. These patterns were created by sprinkling fine gold powder or pasting thin sheets of silver onto the armor's surface.This armor is particularly interesting because we know exactly who used it; there is even a painting showing Sakakibara wearing it. The painting also depicts a banner. This banner has been handed down to present day with the armor, as has an uma-jirushi, or a standard raised during the heat of battle. When viewed together, these truly give us a feel for the atmosphere of the time.

江戸時代前期（17世紀）／丈の高い鉢と裾広がりの脇立を黒漆塗とし、頂辺には銀箔を押して富士山を表わす。𩊱(しころ)は両肩を短く、後中央を長くした日根野形といわれる形式で、帯状の板の上端に刻みを入れ、表面を伝統的な札仕立てのように見せかけた切符札白糸で五段に威している。

This armor has a European-style cuirass made from plates of iron. The flamboyant helmet depicts a sea creature called a turban shell.

江戸時代前期（17世紀）／桃形は南蛮兜の影響のある形で、前方中央から後方にかけて一条の鎬を立て、左右両面を平骨に仕上げ、敵の攻撃物をすべらせて避けるのに役立った。𩊱（しころ）は、黒漆塗りに萌黄糸を六段に素懸威（すがけおどし）した日野根型で、吹返に花菱紋を金で、前立は木彫に鍍金を施した蛇之目紋。

This iron helmet is shaped like an [eboshi] cap. It features a bold design, with paulownia crests cut from iron sheets and affixed to the sides.

This armor was worn by Matsudaira Ienori, a military commander who lived from the end of the 16th century to the start of the 17th century. Ienori served Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan's first shogun and the man who established the Tokugawa shogunate. The armor mainly consists of small iron and leather platelets threaded together with white silk cords. This is a traditional feature of Japanese armor, with red cord also used to create a 'Hinomaru' rising sun design. Japanese armor changed greatly during the endless wars of the 16th century. Armor was now designed to protect the whole body, including a cuirass for the upper body, a helmet for the head, arm guards, thigh-and-knee guards, and shin guards. These parts also featured colored threads and designs. This type of armor is known as tosei-gusoku, a name that translates as 'modern-style armor.' The name was coined to differentiate it from 'mukashi-gusoku,' or 'ancient armor,' which was used up until the 16th century. Tosei-gusoku became the prevalent form of armor during the Edo period. This example features traditional techniques and simple decorations on the helmet, for instance, but the bold combination of colors lends the armor an overall uniformity and it creates a sense of splendor and style befitting of a set of tosei-gusoku.This armor was worn by Matsudaira Ienori, a military commander who lived from the end of the 16th century to the start of the 17th century. Ienori served Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan's first shogun and the man who established the Tokugawa shogunate. The armor mainly consists of small iron and leather platelets threaded together with white silk cords. This is a traditional feature of Japanese armor, with red cord also used to create a 'Hinomaru' rising sun design. Japanese armor changed greatly during the endless wars of the 16th century. Armor was now designed to protect the whole body, including a cuirass for the upper body, a helmet for the head, arm guards, thigh-and-knee guards, and shin guards. These parts also featured colored threads and designs. This type of armor is known as tosei-gusoku, a name that translates as 'modern-style armor.' The name was coined to differentiate it from 'mukashi-gusoku,' or 'ancient armor,' which was used up until the 16th century. Tosei-gusoku became the prevalent form of armor during the Edo period. This example features traditional techniques and simple decorations on the helmet, for instance, but the bold combination of colors lends the armor an overall uniformity and it creates a sense of splendor and style befitting of a set of tosei-gusoku.

This helmet was made to resemble a man's head. The topknot is made with horsehair, while the hairband is covered with black lacquer and silver leaf.

18th - 19th Century (The Middle to The Late Edo Period)

Luxurious and splendid helmets of peaceful times

Eventually, a time of peace came, when warriors had fewer occasions to join battles wearing armor, however, even in the middle of the Edo period, eccentric helmets continued to be made. From the end of the 18th century onward, the idea of revival became popular under the encouragement of Tokugawa Yoshimune, the 8th shogun, and medieval armor such as large armor and dōmaru style armor (light torso armor) drew interest, and they were frequently sought after. Feudal lords with great financial resources reproduced and restored medieval armor under the guidance of antiquarians and researchers, and produced richly decorated revival-style hoshi-kabuto and suji-kabuto.

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／兜鉢は薄鉄の五枚張りで、その上に鯱（しゃち）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る。日根野形五段を紫絲威（むらさきいとおどし）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。

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／室町時代末期以降、甲冑の意匠が自由に表現されるようになるにつれて、兜も好みの形が作られた。江戸時代には、和紙を張り重ねた張子作りの型に漆を塗った張懸兜は精巧を極めた。本作は中央に徳川家の紋である三葉葵を、そして全面に蜻蛉と蝶を平蒔絵で描いた兜で、徳川家にゆかりのあるものと推測される。

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／室町時代後期以降、兜に自分の好みが表現されるようになり、いろいろな形の変わり兜が生まれた。本作のような唐冠は、中国の冠を象ったもので安土・桃山時代に流行し、簡単な頭形兜の上に薄鉄、煉革、和紙の張懸けで作られている。背後の纓が立物としての効果を示し、耳のように左右に突き出ている。

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／兜は鉄錆地の筋兜で、金箔押の御弊の前立と兎耳の脇立を付けている。胴は桶側胴で、桜花、花菱、蔦紋、梅花の透し紋鋲を打った二枚胴である。袖は七段の大袖紺絲威で、全体に重厚で深みのある、江戸時代中期の優秀作。

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／兜鉢の矧ぎ方は、4枚の鉄板を互いに接してその面に筋鉄を重ねて矧ぎ留めたアジア大陸における兜の構成法で、天辺を伏鉢式で押さえ、四葉座で覆っている。腰巻は銀覆輪とし、檜垣の代わりに銀板で、巻雲状のものを置いている。作域は、兜鉢が異国風で珍しく資料的に貴重。

This armor shows meticulousl craftsmanship. The cuirass, for example, has hinges that allow it to be separated into six parts.

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／江戸時代の後期になると、復古的な思想に基づいて古い形式の甲冑が作られるようになった。この兜もその一例で、覆輪をかけた筋鉢に、紫糸裾濃威（むらさきいとすそごおどし）のしころをつけ、立物は鍬形と龍。雲州松平家に伝来したもの。

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／兜をはじめ胴や袖などを金茶絲で威して統一し、各部に梅枝の透彫り、梅花、木瓜の紋の金物を施した胴丸。平安時代の胴丸を模しており、完成度の高さ、漆塗り技術の腕の確かさから、江戸時代の大名が儀礼用として名工に注文して作らせたものと思われる。

江戸時代中期（18世紀）／兜は鉄錆地の二十四間二方白で、前後に枝菊透かし彫りの地板を置いている。裾濃（すそご）というのは、染職の色のぼかし方の一つで、上方の色をうすくし、下方を濃くした色彩効果のこと。紫裾濃威は、袖などを上段から下段へ次第に濃い糸で威したものを指す。

江戸時代後期（19世紀）／漆塗りの仕上げと威しの手法が優れており、揺ぎ札の流行した江戸時代後期の希少な逸品である。兜をはじめ、鎧の各部に牡丹模様の金物が、また胴の前面には尾長島の藍染抜きの模様が施されている。全体に落ち着いた調子に統一され、極めて美しい鎧の一つである。

江戸時代後期（19世紀）／幕末の薩摩藩主島津斉彬が着用したと伝えられる大鎧。兜の鉢は、古く鎌倉時代のものを転用しており、各所に取り付けられた金具の装飾は豪華な作りで、他に例を見ないほど手の込んだ金具である。全体に勇壮さ、重厚さに優雅さ、軽快さの感じられる上品な作風。

江戸時代後期（19世紀）／切付毛引威しで威糸は紺色を用い、胴は横はぎ胴で黒漆塗りに金の高蒔絵で雲龍の図柄を施した作品。兜の鍬形台、吹返、篭手に据え紋の「蔦」がおかれている。兜の作者は、水戸徳川家のお抱え工「水府紀義徳」で、藩主の斉昭より義の字を賜り甲冑師となった明珍派の一人。

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References

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Last updated
January 5, 2026