Stupa-shaped Helmet with the Characters "Namu Amida Butsu 五輪塔六字名号頭立兜ゴリントウロクジミョウゴウズダテカブト

Description

A warrior's desire to assert his existence on the battlefield gave rise to helmets of clever and contrived designs (J., <i>kawari kabuto</i>), which came into fashion from the early Momoyama period (1573-1615). They reflect the concept of <i>kabuki</i>, which placed a high value on strangeness and eccentricity.

This helmet, which dates to the later Ky&ocirc;ho era (1716-36), was ordered from master armorers of the Iwai family by Matsudaira Uneme no Sh&ocirc; Sadamoto (n.d.), head of the Imabari fief in Iyo Domain (present day Ehime Prefecture). The stupa-shaped stand protruding from the helmet was carved from a single block of wood, pierced above and below with the Sanskrit six characters, Namu Amida Butsu (Hail, Amitabha Buddha), and the family crest, consisting of the character, <i>shi</i>, enclosed in a circle, are carved in relief. This design reveals Sadamoto's deep faith in Pure Land Buddhism.