A Wondrous & Incredibly Rare 14th Century Bronze Talismanic, Magical or Mystical Knights Ring. Grand Tour Recovery From Agincourt. Featuring Twin Triangles of the Holy Trinity & the World, the Flesh, and The Devil

Twin triangles, within larger twin triangles and four double triangle corners. The shoulders are engraved with palm tree fronds. Early Christians used the palm frond branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul. . The palm has been among all nations a symbol of victory: "What is signified by the palm," says St. Gregory the Great (Homily on Ezechiel 2:17), "except the reward of victory?" The primitive Church used it to express the triumph of the Christian over death through the resurrection.

This wonderful ring is very solid and sound, especially considering it is around 700 years old, and in fact still perfect to wear today, if desired. It bears a superb natural aged patina. When worn in its day, it would have shone like gold.

A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, such as Talismanic rings or pendants, but can also be installed permanently in architecture. Talismans are closely linked with amulets, fulfilling many of the same roles, but a key difference is in their form and materiality, with talismans often taking the form of objects (e.g., clothing, weaponry, jewellery or parchment) which are inscribed with magic texts
The triangle with its apex up was typical of the Trinity, figures that occur in several religions. In India, China and Japan, its three angles represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer or Re-generator. In ancient Egypt, it represented the deities Osiris, Isis and Horus. In Christianity, it represented the Holy Trinity. As a whole it stands for the elements of fire and spirit, composed of the three virtues (love, truth, and wisdom). The triangle with its apex downward symbolized the element of water, and typified the material world, or the three enemies of the soul: the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and the cardinal sins, envy, hatred and malice. Therefore, the two triangles interlaced represent the victory of spirit over matter. The early cultures that contributed to Western civilization believed that the Seal of Solomon was an all-powerful talisman and amulet, especially when used with either a Cross of Tau, the Hebrew Yodh, or the Egyptian Crux Ansata in the centre.

Amulets may contain medieval manuscripts of folded texts for protection against demon forces {see photo 9 in the gallery}. Combined with a talismanic ring or pendant the wearer would feel their safety was assured from all elements, both physical and spiritual.

After several decades of relative peace, the English had renewed their war effort in 1415 amid the failure of negotiations with the French. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers perished due to disease and the English numbers dwindled, but as they tried to withdraw to English-held Calais they found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. Despite the disadvantage, the following battle ended in an overwhelming tactical victory for the English.

King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. The French king of the time, Charles VI, did not command the French army himself, as he suffered from severe psychotic illnesses with moderate mental incapacitation. Instead, the French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party.

This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large numbers, with the English and Welsh archers forming up to 80 percent of Henry's army. The decimation of the French cavalry at their hands is regarded as an indicator of the decline of cavalry and the beginning of the dominance of ranged weapons on the battlefield.

Agincourt is one of England's most celebrated victories. The battle is the centrepiece of the play Henry V by Shakespeare. Juliet Barker in her book Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle ( published in 2005) argues the English and Welsh were outnumbered "at least four to one and possibly as much as six to one". She suggests figures of about 6,000 for the English and 36,000 for the French, based on the Gesta Henrici's figures of 5,000 archers and 900 men-at-arms for the English, and Jean de Wavrin's statement "that the French were six times more numerous than the English". The 2009 Encyclopædia Britannica uses the figures of about 6,000 for the English and 20,000 to 30,000 for the French. Part of an original medieval collection we have just acquired, of Viking and early British relics of warfare from ancient battle sites recovered up to 220 years ago.

Most of our antiquities and artefacts are from 200 year past souvenir accumulations from British ‘Grand Tours’. Beautiful Items and antiquities were oft acquired in the 18th and early 19th century by British noblemen and women touring battle sites in Northern France and Italy, in fact most of Europe and the Middle East, on their so-called ‘Grand Tour’. They were often placed on display upon their return home, within the family’s 'cabinet of curiosities', within their country house. Some significant British stately homes had entire galleries displaying the treasures and artefacts gathered and purchased on such tours, and some tours lasted many years, and the accumulated souvenirs numbered in their hundreds or even thousands. A popular pastime in the 18th and 19th century, comprised of English ladies and gentlemen traveling for many months, or even years, throughout classical Europe, and the Middle East, acquiring knowledge and education on the arts, and thus returning with antiquities and antiques as souvenirs for their private collections, and these travels have been thus called ‘Grand Tours’.
Picture 10 in the gallery of a magic circle containing the triangle in a 15th-century manuscript

size O {UK}

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 25081

A Simply Stunning Koto Era Japanese Katana Circa 1550 of Most Elegant Form

Around 470 to 500 year old blade, with a most beautiful elegant blade in good polish, showing a very active hamon and long kissaki. Fitted with wonderful, all original Edo period mounts, including its original Edo period lacquer saya in near pristine condition with multi patterned polychrome lacquer that has survived near 200 years stunningly well. The complexity of the different patterns and colours of urushi lacquer on the saya shows the status of its last owners during the 18th and 19th century. The original Edo period lacquer on the saya is in simply excellent condition and shows most elegant technical skill, it reveals within that skill the finest craftsmanship and beauty worthy of a master of the art of urushi decor. Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for over 7000 years.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords

Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.
A saya of this quality would likely have taken over a year to make. Long impressive blade with a long o-kissaki tip. The tsuba is Hira-zogan iron tetsu inlaid with flat kinko brass in the form of a willow tree. The fushi and menuki patterns are both dragon based.The first use of katana as a word to describe a long sword that was different from a tachi occurs as early as the Kamakura Period (1185?1333). These references to "uchigatana" and "tsubagatana" seem to indicate a different style of sword, possibly a less costly sword for lower-ranking warriors. The Mongol invasions of Japan facilitated a change in the designs of Japanese swords. Thin tachi and chokuto-style blades were often unable to cut through the boiled leather armour of the Mongols, with the blades often chipping or breaking off. The evolution of the tachi into what would become the katana seems to have continued during the early Muromachi period (1337 to 1573). Starting around the year 1400, long swords signed with the katana-style mei were made. This was in response to samurai wearing their tachi in what is now called "katana style" (cutting edge up). Overall 40 inches long, blade tsuba to tip 28.25 inches long  read more

Code: 21525

A Very Attractive, Edo Era 17th to 18th Century Samurai's Tetsu Abumi Stirrup,

This Japanese stirrup, is made in the traditional dove's breast (hato mune) shape with an open platform lined with red lacquer slightly curved forward so that the foot fits in without sliding backwards. In the front extremity the stirrup has a rectangular buckle with several horizontal slots which also serve as a handle.
The whole surface is in ancient russetted iron in the distinctive Higo school style, with a large onlaid decorative mount of a bird and various flora.

It is to be noted that these stirrups, due to their weight, were also used as weapons against the infantry adversaries. Abumi, Japanese stirrups, were used in Japan as early as the 5th century, and were a necessary component along with the Japanese saddle (kura) for the use of horses in warfare. Abumi became the type of stirrup used by the samurai class of feudal Japan Early abumi were flat-bottomed rings of metal-covered wood, similar to European stirrups. The earliest known examples were excavated from tombs. Cup-shaped stirrups (tsubo abumi) that enclosed the front half of the rider's foot eventually replaced the earlier design.

During the Nara period, the base of the stirrup which supported the rider's sole was elongated past the toe cup. This half-tongued style of stirrup (hanshita abumi) remained in use until the late Heian period (794 to 1185) when a new stirrup was developed. The fukuro abumi or musashi abumi had a base that extended the full length of the rider's foot and the right and left sides of the toe cup were removed. The open sides were designed to prevent the rider from catching a foot in the stirrup and being dragged.

The military version of this open-sided stirrup, called the shitanaga abumi, was in use by the middle Heian period. It was thinner, had a deeper toe pocket and an even longer and flatter foot shelf. It is not known why the Japanese developed this unique style of stirrup, but this stirrup stayed in use until European style-stirrups were introduced in the late 19th century. The abumi has a distinctive swan-like shape, curved up and backward at the front so as to bring the loop for the leather strap over the instep and achieve a correct balance. Most of the surviving specimens from this period are made entirely of iron, inlaid with designs of silver or other materials, and covered with lacquer. In some cases, there is an iron rod from the loop to the footplate near the heel to prevent the foot from slipping out. The footplates are occasionally perforated to let out water when crossing rivers, and these types are called suiba abumi. There are also abumi with holes in the front forming sockets for a lance or banner. Seieibushi (Elite Samurai)
Traditionally the highest rank among the samurai, these are highly skilled fully-fledged samurai. Most samurai at the level of Seieibushi take on apprentices or Aonisaibushi-samurai as their disciples.

Kodenbushi (Legendary Samurai)
A highly coveted rank, and often seen as the highest attainable position, with the sole exception of the rank of Shogun. These are samurai of tremendous capability, and are regarded as being of Shogun-level. Kodenbushi are hired to accomplish some of the most dangerous international missions. Samurai of Kodenbushi rank are extremely rare, and there are no more than four in any given country.

Daimyo (Lords)
This title translates to 'Big Name' and is given to the heads of the clan.

Shogun (Military Dictator)
The apex of the samurai, the Shogun is the most prestigious rank possible for a samurai. Shoguns are the leaders of their given district, or country, and are regarded as the most powerful samurai.  read more

Code: 23147

A 600 Year Old Samurai Wakazashi, Higo Han Dachi Mounted, Signed by Nobukuni

All original fittings and koshirae of the Edo period, the Higo han dachi mounts are most exceptional and a form very rarely seen, in that all seven pieces in the original full suite are Higo scholl, iron ground, stunningly decorated with splashes of pure silver droplets applied somewhat like flakes of snow falling in the night. They are absolutely captivating in their beauty.

The blade has an absolutely stunningly complex and active hamon, that looks fabulous, with totally as to be expected, a small area of the tip of the blade with pitting, Some pitting was left in place by the polisher, a conscious choice that helps to preserve as much of the original form, thickness, and therefore handling characteristics as possible. Otherwise, in good shape. The saya has its original Edo period ishime stone lacquer in super condition with just a couple of old areas of surface repair, with a kozuka pocket and its complimentary plain iron Higo kozuka [utility knife] present.
It has a fine mokko iron plate tsuba, decorated with a full moon over clouds and a gold and silver inlaid hanging rope, with attachments, over crashing waves.
Han-dachi mounted swords originally appeared during the Muromachi period when there was a transition taking place from tachi slung swords to katana obi mounted swords. The sword was being worn more and more edge up when on foot, but edge down on horseback as it had always been. The handachi is a response to the need of a sword to be worn in either style.
The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu [to stop the spear] expanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality. The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday.

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Code: 24251

A Very Fine Condition Classic, Cased Pair of Late 18th to Early 19th Century Damascus Barrelled Duelling Pistols by Master Gunsmith William Parker of Holborn London. Original Oak Case with Tools and Accessories

A superb cased pair, in original case, near identical, and from the exact same design and form as another very fine cased pair, commissioned from William Parker, of London, circa 1800, and formerly in the American Billionaire J.P.Morgan Family Collection.

J. P. Morgan was a 19th century and early 20th century world renown American banker and philanthropist, he was subsequently categorised as America's greatest banker, who's reorganising skills and actions, in the great panic of 1907, saved America's monetary system

William Parker (1790-1841), produced some of Englands finest flintlock guns at 233 High Holborn London, from 1793-1839. Parker was Gun maker to the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward and King William IV.

Browned octagonal smooth 16 bore barrels are marked “London” on tops. Locks with waterproof pans, bridled roller frizzens, chamfered lockplates with rebated tails, and high breasted serpentine cocks, are fitted with sliding safeties, and are engraved with feather flourishes and “Parker” under pans on the lock face. traditional English style walnut stocks that have wraparound checkering with mullered borders on bag grips. “Stand of Arms”engraved trigger guards have stylized pineapple finials, and some original blueing. Stocks attach to the barrels with two sliding barrel slides, with no escutcheons. Horn tipped rosewood ramrods are held by two nicely filed, beaded, steel pipes. Both ramrods have steel, ball extractor worms. Original mahogany case has dual pivoting hook closure, and Parker's most distinctive inlet foldaway “D” handle. The interior is lined in traditional green pill-napped cloth, with W. Parker paper label on lid depicting pair of gentlemen gunners and their dogs. Case contains copper bag shaped powder flask, loading rod with mushroom tip, 1 cleaning brush. Covered compartments with turned brass knobs on covers, for the containing of flints and balls.



Excellent condition overall. Damascus twisted steel barrels in beautifully refreshed browning, Breech irons and locks retain a delightful patina. Trigger guards equally with nice patina. Stocks are excellent, retaining most of their original finish, edges and checkering sharp and very crisp, with a number of small use surface dents, handling marks, Bores are excellent. Locks and frizzens are crisp. Case is very fine retaining most of its original finish. Interior cloth is fine with light marks and soiling from contact with guns and accessories. Label is fine, slightly foxed and dented from contact with frizzen springs. Accessories are all fine, but incorrect mould, both pistols are 36 centimetres long overall, 23.4cm barrels, case size 21cm x 43.5 cm x 7.2 cm

William Parker was born to Thomas and Elizabeth in 1772, at Croscombe in Somerset. Nothing is known of his early years, but in 1792 the name William Parker appears in a Holborn rate book for the address of 233 High Holborn. This address had until the latter part of the eighteenth century been occupied by a John Field and his father–in–law John Clarke. Alongside his name in the rate book was that of ‘Widow Field’, a jeweller. At this time William was aged only 20 years and it is not fully understood under what pretext he started at this address. It is probable that he had been working at the location as an apprentice silversmith, as a business had operated there under the names of ‘Field & Clarke, silversmiths’ between the years 1784 and 1793.

The process of the name changing from Field and Clarke to William Parker started when John Field died around 1790. Entries with his name are recorded in the Holborn rate books from 1783 until 1790. In 1791 his name is still listed, but underlined and the word ‘Widw’ inserted. Records suggest John Clarke survived until at least May 1793, but it is probable he died around this time.

John Field’s marriage to Sarah Clarke had resulted in one surviving child, also called John born circa 1779 in the County of Middlesex. Following the death of John the elder William Parker married his widow Sarah on the 1 July 1792. It is not unusual for a new business to trade under an established name and this probably accounts for the name Field surviving in various forms for a few more years. Entries in trade directories confirm that by 1796-1797 William was operating under his own name as a sole trader, a situation that would continue until his death in 1841.

John Field the younger is often referred to as William’s ‘son-in-law’, but was in fact his step-son. In the nineteenth century the term ‘in-law’ meant related by marriage, but also extended to children, which is not the case now, when we would use the term step-son. William and Sarah appear to have had no other children, but John did marry and went on to have seven children of his own, three boys and four girls. The two eldest boys, John William Parker Field and William Shakespeare Field were to follow their father and grandfather’s trade as gun makers.

As a gun maker William Parker was a well known for producing a range of weapons from standard issue items to the finest duelling pistols. He later started to produce truncheons and other articles such as handcuffs, swords and rattles, and had the major contracts to supply arms and truncheons to the Metropolitan police of London.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of trading  read more

Code: 24368

A Magnificent & Fantastic Presentation Limited Edition Leather & Gilt Bound Huge Volume Of Lucien Rousselot's Uniforms of Royal and Imperial French Army From the 18th century Ancien Regime, to the First Empire of The Emperor Napoleon

An exceptional leather bound in gold tooled bright red and cream calf leather, and a considerably weighty tome of 18 pounds, or 8.15 kilos, that any Ancien Regime & Imperial French Armee collector or historian would be thrilled to own and enjoy. Likely printed around 50 years ago.

The uniform plates of the famous military painter Lucien Rousselot, is an indispensable source for the ancien Regime and Napoleonic era. We have never seen such a fabulous example of this very rarely seen, deluxe, especially published edition. We have only ever seen one other, decades ago, and that had many plates removed in order to have them framed.

Lucien Rousselot, was the official painter of the French Army, created plates on the Napoleonic period between 1943 and 1971, drawing on his painstaking research in the military archives. Some 60 plates {numbered I to XXX x 2} in this hefty tome are devoted to the Ancien Régime, & the First Empire. All are highly detailed, meticulously researched and stunningly coloured. The master combed every source he could find for uniform details and exceptions.
It comes in a handsome slipcase, that has taken the external wear, that will undoubtedly take pride of place in any library of a French Napoleonic collector.

A painter and illustrator of military subjects, and during his illustrious career, he produced an iconography dealing with the uniforms worn within the French Army over a vast period ranging from the 16th century to the end of the 19th century . From the 1920s he worked as an illustrator and uniformologist for the magazine Le Passepoil directed by Eugène-Louis Bucquoy, for whom he also illustrated some of the series of cards devoted to the uniforms of the First Empire. A member of the company La Sabretache, he also collaborated for the company's magazine Le Carnet de la Sabretache until the 1990s. His work, considered major, is the series of 106 uniformological plates dealing, for more than half of them, French uniforms worn during the First Empire The French Army, its uniforms, its armament, its equipment that he produced from 1943 to 1970.
To create his paintings and plates he used articulated mannequins of soldiers and miniature horses that he had made on a 1/7 scale , accompanied by accessories. He is buried in Marles en Brie (Seine et Marne).

The honours that were awarded to him were;

Knight of the Legion of Honour
Officer of Arts and Letters,
&
Knight of the Academic Palms

The printing house, Les Procedes Dorel, Paris

48 cm x 40 cm x 8 cm or 19 inches x 16 inches x 3 inches.

Each picture, on every page, is frame mounted, individually, and is 30.5 cm x 22.5 cm  read more

Code: 25239

A Noble Family Crested Victorian Officer's Artillery Cavalry Sword

Used from 1845 to around 1900. Bearing a family’s noble crest of a collared female griffon head facing sinister, and a pair of wings facing dexter, and a monogram J.D. etched with royal devices on a pair of lances and an artillery cannon, and typical florid decor.
Three bar cavalry type hilt, wirebound wood bound grip. overall russet surface.
The British Military forces have continually used artillery cannon in some form or another since the 15th century. Until 1716, they were provided by artillery trains, raised and disbanded on a campaign-by-campaign basis. But that year, King George I issued a Royal Warrant to set up two permanent field artillery companies of 100 men each. This force soon grew in size as the demand for artillery increased.

Other artillery regiments were also set up at this time, such as the Royal Horse Artillery in 1793, which provided artillery support to cavalry units. Some of these other regiments were merged into the main Royal Artillery, such as the Royal Irish Regiment of Artillery in 1801, and the artillery of the disbanded East India Company in 1862.

The Royal Regiment of Artillery and the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners, as technical supporting Arms, lived in an alternative military world run by the Board of Ordnance. The commission purchase system was not extended to their officers, who were all professionally trained at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. The Gunners were organised into Field Artillery supporting the Infantry, Horse Artillery supporting Cavalry, and Garrison Artillery providing coastal defence and siege guns. Their field guns were relatively short range 6pdr and 9pdr muzzle loaders which had last seen service at Waterloo. The most commonly used all-purpose ammunition was solid iron round shot; with a direct accurate range of around half a mile for a 9pdr, it bounded along on landing like a well struck giant golf ball, to double the range on hard ground. Shrapnel, which exploded via a timed fuse, was particularly effective against massed troops in the open. Finally, Case, or Grapeshot, was the last gasp do-or-die shell; it operated at close range like a huge shotgun cartridge, scattering small projectiles forwards in all directions. Rates of fire were largely determined by the necessity for careful aim, and shortcuts on safety taken by the five man detachment. Two to three rounds per minute was generally taken as normal, and anything higher usually meant that the team were risking accidents.

Field Batteries and RHA Troops consisted of a mix of four field guns and two howitzers. Howitzers lobbed a larger shell as if from a lofted golf club onto a target, which might be hidden from sight. Howitzers did not fire round shot.

No scabbard  read more

Code: 24139

French Model 1874 "Gras" Sword Bayonet

This bayonet, made by scarce maker L Deny Paris in 1880, was the last of the French "sword-type" bayonets. It was manufactured to fit the French Model 1874 "Gras" Infantry Rifle, basically a refinement of the Model 1866 Chassepot Infantry Rifle. The "Gras" was manufactured from 1874 to about 1885.
The French wars during the useful "life-span" of this bayonet were:
Sino-French War 1883-1885;
Madagascar Wars 1883-1885 and 1895;
1st Mandingo-French War 1883-1886;
1st Dahomeyan-French War 1889-1990;
2nd Dahomeyan-French War 1892-1894;
2nd Mandingo-French War 1894-1895;
Conquest of Chad 1897-1914;
3rd Mandingo-French War 1898;
Moroccan War 1907-1912;
World War I (early). Blade 20.5 inches overall 26 inches  read more

Code: 19122

A Good King George IIIrd Period Belgian Light Dragoon Type Percussion Holster Pistol

Based very comparably to the British 1756 Light Dragoon pattern holster pistol, but made circa 1822. A very strong an robust pistol bearing numerous Belgian proof and military inspection stamps, and a Liege 1811 barrel proof stamp, brass skull-crusher butt cap with lanyard ring. percussion action, finest walnut stock that its surface has been fully relief carved with a snakeskin pattern, a cross, a heart and a serpent, and has a fabulous natural patina. strong mainspring, overall 16 inches long, 9 inch barrel. Set to a hair-trigger action  read more

Code: 23641

A Stunning, Fearsome Yet Beautiful, Edo Period Shirohige Ressei-Menpo "Mask With Fierce Expression" Samurai Face Armour,, Probably Myochin School, 18th century

Men-yoroi (面鎧), also called menpō (面頬) or mengu (面具), are various types of facial armour that were worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. These include the sōmen, menpō, hanbō or hanpō, and happuri.

A resseimon cheek is a form of cheek below the eyes, and is a mask with a very fierce, angry, and threatening expression. He is characterized by wrinkles on his nose and cheeks, wide open mouth, moustache and gold teeth. This work is a typical ressei mask made of iron and covered with black lacquer over the entire surface, and is attached with a collar called a kuruwa, which was commonly used in the Edo period.

This is a wonderful piece of Japanese Samurai 'art' made for warfare, which features a kuchi hige (mustache), shiwa (facial wrinkles). Extremely collectable art that is most desirable in its own right, often stunningly used for interior decoration as an individual work of samurai art in its own right. A very good urushi lacqured embossed iron mask of 'Me no Shita Men' (half face) type. Mid Edo period 18th century. Typical Myochin school craftmanship with very sharp embossing. A multi coloured silk bound yodarekake, neck defence with hooked standing cord pegs for attaching with cords to the samurai. A doeskin top to the neck defences decorated in a black inked pattern of Shishi lion dogs on a leaf pattern background. The inner face is decorated with vermillion lacquer, and the neck lames are covered in black urushi lacquer under the cords. Face armour, menpo, is samurai armour, and this is called 'with a fierce expression' masks They were worn with the Samurai's armours to serve as a protection for the head and the face from sword cuts. Even if the mask in unsigned, the type, and its the features suggest this fabulous face armour menpo was made by a smith from the Myochin school.

There are 4 types of mask designs that came into general use in Japan: happuri (which covers the forehead and cheeks), hanbō (covers the lower face, from below the nose all the way to the chin), sōmen (covers the entire face) and the me-no-shita-men (covers the face from nose to chin). We can also classify those mask depending on their facial expressions, most of which derive from the theatre masks. It has an asenagashino ana a hole under the chin to drain off perspiration and orikugi two projecting studs above the chin to provide a secure fastening to the wearer. In the 16th century Japan began trading with Europe during what would become known as the Nanban trade. Samurai acquired European armour including the cuirass and comb morion which they modified and combined with domestic armour as it provided better protection from the newly introduced matchlock muskets known as Tanegashima. The introduction of the tanegashima by the Portuguese in 1543 changed the nature of warfare in Japan causing the Japanese armour makers to change the design of their armours from the centuries old lamellar armours to plate armour constructed from iron and steel plates which was called tosei gusoku (new armours). Bullet resistant armours were developed called tameshi gusoku or (bullet tested) allowing samurai to continue wearing their armour despite the use of firearms.
The era of warfare called the Sengoku period ended around 1600, Japan was united and entered a relatively peaceful Edo period. However, the Shoguns of the Tokugawa period were most adept at encouraging clan rivalries and conflicts and battles were engaged throughout the empire. This of course suited the Shogun very well, while all his subordinate daimyo fought each other they were unlikely to conspire against him. Samurai use continued to use both plate and lamellar armour as a symbol of their status but traditional armours were no longer necessary for war, but still for battle. The most important branch of the Myochin school is probably that of the Ki region. Founded by Kunimichi, it became popular between 17th and 18th century for the works of Munesuke, who had the technical ability and the artistic capacity to create samurai armour of great beauty, In fact, this is the period when Japanese armor makers became aware that they were living in a peaceful time and their works begun looking back at the mediaval samurai armour as an inspiration: kabuto started again to be of circular shape and decorations became again large and rich, as in the old o-yoroi armor.

The best ability of Munesuke was the hammering technique (uchidashi): his menpo look almost exagerated in their shapes, with a very long chin, sharp and deep wrinkles on the cheeks and theatrical mouth. Moustaches are often inlaid in silver or gold, instead of being in fur as on Nara style menpo.

But the armor maker who really brough the uchidashi technique to the highest level is Muneakira, pupil and adopted son of Munesuke, which we can consider the best maker for samurai armour of modern times: his hammeried works are extraordinary, with precise and sharp lines of a quality that nobody else achieved.

The men-yoroi, which covered all or part of the face, provided a way to secure the top-heavy kabuto (helmet). The Shinobi-no-o (chin cord) of the kabuto would be tied under the chin. Small hooks called ori-kugi or posts called odome located on various places would help secure the chin cord. The men-yoroi was constructed from iron, leather, or a combination of both. It had a lacquered or rusted type of finish and included a variety of facial details, such as a moustache, fierce teeth and a detachable nose. With the exception of the happuri, a men-yoroi had a small hole underneath the chin for sweat drainage.

Face armour in Japan begins with the happuri, which is depicted in Heian- and Kamakura-era yamato-e paintings and is thought to have appeared during the 10th or 11th centuries. It is depicted as being worn with or without a helmet by both mounted warriors and foot retainers. By the 14th century, the hōate appears, and according to Tom Conlan, this development is behind decreased facial wound statistics. However, others, such as Yamagishi Sumio, believe that the hōate was not widespread at that time, as it—and the later menpō—restricted the vision of the wearer. Hōate are also portrayed in art and literature of the period, most notably the Aki no yo no Nagamonogatari scroll and Taiheiki. The menpō (half-mask with detachable nosepiece) and the sōmen (full face mask) are believed to have been introduced around the mid to late 15th century, and the hanbō (chin guard) in the second half of the 16th century
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Code: 25241