NOW SOLD A Japanese Edo Period Lacquered Harikake Court Cap Form Helmet Naga-Eboshi

A most beautiful Japanese black lacquered harikake helmet kabuto purposefully made without neck defences. In the form of a courtier's hat (naga-eboshi), the peak, and rear band has intricate gold lacquered scrolling Karakusa Chinese grasses, and decorated with seven gilt metal religious cross mons with four ivy leaf terminals, fukigayeshi lacquered with the same mon of religious cross mon with four ivy leaf terminals, red lacquered interior, original red fabric lining and white padded straps. Kabuto are a type of helmet first used by samurai. Harikake kabuto used papier-mache, or leather mixed with lacquer, to build the elaborate decoration. A picture in the gallery of a statue in Japan of Oda Nobunaga (1534-82) who was the first of Japan?s three great unifiers at the end of the Sengoku (warring states). He is wearing this very form of cap while in full armour. Kabuto are often adorned with crests called datemono or tatemono; the four types of decorations were the maedate (frontal decoration), wakidate (side decorations), kashiradate (top decoration), and ushirodate (rear decoration). These can be family crests (mon), or flat or sculptural objects representing animals, mythical entities, prayers or other symbols. Horns are particularly common, and many kabuto incorporate kuwagata, stylized deer horns. This helmet has a maedate hook with which the samurai could mount his family mon maedate. The left side facing fukegaeshi with clan mon front temple winged ear has a bend that cannot be unbent due to its lacquered hide material of construction with areas of lacquer loss. Some bottom section rim edging throughout is now exposed. All its small lacquer imperfections are due to its age, and ideally should be left just as is. The upper helmet bowl's lacquer is excellent overall.

The helmet is also shown in the gallery mounted on a samurai suit of armour code number 21624

Code: 22215