Red-and-blue-laced Suit of Armor from the Kii Tokugawa Family, mid 17th century
Iron, leather, lacquer, silk, wood, gold leaf and powder, bear furexpand_more
The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fundexpand_more 2009.60a-s
On View in Gallery 219expand_more
This elaborate suit of Japanese armor is a lightweight, form-fitting type designed to protect the body in close combat. With a face mask, forearm sleeves, thigh and shin guards, and bear-fur boots, every inch of the wearer’s body is protected. Craftspeople laced together hundreds of lacquered metal and leather plates with red and blue silk cords to create a distinctive appearance, as well as flexibility. The suit may have belonged to Tokugawa Yorinobu (1602–1671), the feudal lord of Kii Province and founder of that branch of the Tokugawa family that ruled Japan until 1867. The suit could have been worn in battle but probably was only used for parades.
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Details
- Title
- Red-and-blue-laced Suit of Armor from the Kii Tokugawa Family
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2009.60a-s
- Provenance
- Tokugawa family, Kii province (Wakayama Prefecture); Idemitsu Sazō for Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo (1927-2009); Christie's, 23 October 2009, New York, Rockefeller Plaza, lot 80.
- Curator Approved
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