Japanese armour
Iron and textile
Japanese armour
This is a piece of Japanese armour which is made up of iron rectangles, connected by chainmail, attached to a navy cloth backing. There is also a brocade covered padding at the shoulders and neck.
Japanese armour is very distinctive and is most famous for the elaborate types worn by samurai warriors, who were the military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan. This armour is well-made but purely functional, so was probably not made for a samurai but for an ashigaru, a foot-soldier. We do not have all of the information we would like for this obejct, however, so there is a good chance that this piece was made for the tourist market.
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