6th Dec, 2023 11:00
Arms, Armour & Militaria
122
A JAPANESE RIDGED HELMET (SUJIBACHI KABUTO) SIGNED JOSHU (NO) JU SAOTOME IENARI, MOMOYAMA PERIOD, 16TH CENTURY
with iron skull of sixty-two ribbed plates signed on the inside at the rear, fitted with gilt copper tehen no kanamono. The peak (mabizashi) covered with stencilled leather with copper alloy rim (fukurin). and fitted with a gilt copper crest holder (kuwagata dai) decorated with scrolling grasses and stylised chrysanthemum rivets heads with a gilt copper alloy fore-crest holder, both. The lower edge (koshimaki) of the helmet bowl has numerous holes for fitting the missing neck guard (shikoro). Areas of rust and pitting. 16.0 cm high
Saotome Ienari was of the third generation of the Saotome School which flourished in what is now Ibaraki Prefecture at the end of the Muromachi period and into the Momoyama period.
Provenance
Important Japanese Swords, Armour and Tsuba, Christie's, 14th November 1967, part of lot 146.
For other helmets by this armourer see Orikasa, Taelman and Anseeuw, 2010, pp. 48-63.
Sold for £900
with iron skull of sixty-two ribbed plates signed on the inside at the rear, fitted with gilt copper tehen no kanamono. The peak (mabizashi) covered with stencilled leather with copper alloy rim (fukurin). and fitted with a gilt copper crest holder (kuwagata dai) decorated with scrolling grasses and stylised chrysanthemum rivets heads with a gilt copper alloy fore-crest holder, both. The lower edge (koshimaki) of the helmet bowl has numerous holes for fitting the missing neck guard (shikoro). Areas of rust and pitting. 16.0 cm high
Saotome Ienari was of the third generation of the Saotome School which flourished in what is now Ibaraki Prefecture at the end of the Muromachi period and into the Momoyama period.
Provenance
Important Japanese Swords, Armour and Tsuba, Christie's, 14th November 1967, part of lot 146.
For other helmets by this armourer see Orikasa, Taelman and Anseeuw, 2010, pp. 48-63.
Auction: Arms, Armour & Militaria, 6th Dec, 2023
