A FINE NIMAI OKEGAWA DO GUSOKU (TWO-PIECE CUIRASS ARMOR) WITH A BLACK-LACQUERED IRON SUJIBACHI KABUTO AND RESSEI MENPO
Lot 111 - JPN1225

Japan, 17^th-18^th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

The gilt-lacquered iron components predominantly laced in blue, mounted on a fine dark blue and gold silk brocade, and fitted with kanamono with sakura (‘cherry blossom’) and kiku (‘chrysanthemum’) design.

The armor comprising:
A russet-iron kabuto with a sixty-two plate hachi with raised ridges topped by a four-stage gilt-copper tehen kanamono incised with scrolling vines to the lowest tier, with a gilt-copper agemaki-no-kan to the back, the mabisashi fitted with gilt-lacquered wood maedate in the form of the sun (nichirin) flanked by upturned, gilt-lacquered fukigaeshi, all above the five-lame shikoro; a roiro-lacquered iron ressei menpo with a removable nose plate, cast with an open mouth revealing the red lips and gilt teeth beneath a stiff moustache, designed with deeply embossed wrinkles, the chin with ase-nagashi, and the cheeks with bent anchoring posts, all fitted with a four-lame yodarekake; a nimai okegawa do with seven five-lame kusazuri, fitted with a single kiku-form agemaki-no-kan at the chest below two gilt hiramaki-e mon, fitted to the back with an uketsubo (banner holder); a pair of five-lame sode; a pair of iron and kusari (chain mail) kote and tekko, the latter adorned with sakura blossoms; a pair of iron and kusari haidate, the lower part with kiku plates, mounted on a blue-gold silk brocade; and a pair of lacquered iron suneate with hinges.

Condition: Good condition with old wear, and soiling. The lacquer with flaking, rubbing, some age cracks, and losses. Repair to the back of the do and shikoro as well as the meadate, with remnants of glue and associated touchups. Wear and losses to sections of the lacing. The silk brocade at least partially renewed. The turning pins of the menpo lost.

The red-lacquered wood storage box (yoroibako) fitted with kiku-handles and decorated with gold hiramaki-e medallions enclosing stylized butterflies.

Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related nimai-do gusoku, dated to the 17^th-18^th century, at Sotheby’s, The Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armour, 2 November 2021, London, lot 17 (sold for 100,800 or approx. EUR 150,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).