Very Important and Rare Daimyo Kabuto

ERA:  Early Edo Period 1600's

STYLE:  6 plate Namban kabuto

SIGNATURE:  Unsigned

Here is another RARE top quality daimyo grade kabuto, and perhaps one of the finest quality gold and silver inlay pieces you will ever witness. The craftsmanship of this piece is mysterious in several degrees. For one it is an early Edo period kabuto, meaning that it dates to the 1600s. During this time period gold and silver inlay was not frequent, and when it was carried out on armor the quality was good at best. In fact most of the silver/gold inlay pieces that are available date to the LATE EDO period and are of far inferior quality. Further the subject matter of such pieces is frequently
trivial, comical, or geared towards a western market. Thence we often see such subject matter as dragons repeated to monotony. This particular piece is one of the best inlay/overlay pieces that I have ever seen. Not only is the subject matter original and one of a kind, but the state of preserve, and the detail is the finest that I have seen from ANY period. The kabuto hachi is an iron six plate kabuto with an uchidashi mabizashi. The previous owners thought it was possible that the shape/form of the hachi represented a persian style kabuto. I don't go along with this theory.  I believe that it is in the form of the hats worn by the Portugese who were trading with the Japanese from the middle to the end of the 16th century.  Other examples such as Oda Nobunaga's namban kabuto are very close in form and construction to this piece. These examples are made in the form of Namban hats.  So we have a kabuto in which the form is of rare and well balanced design; of daimyo quailty, that others imitate.  One big difference between kawari kabutos of the momoyama-early edo period and those of the Mid-late Edo period is that the later pieces were not
created from a well thought out scheme.  Kawari kabutos from the earlier period show creativity, improvisation, and a well thought out scheme that the wearer becomes a part of when he wears the kabuto.

To understand the inlay is to understand the wearer, as truly good kabuto with well thought out design and subject matter represent the wearer, not just serve to protect.  Each plate of this kabuto is inlayed in gold and silver inlay and overlay, with the subject of a sage on each.  Each sage is different, NOT one story of the same person in different scenes.  Each of the sages has a halo around his head. In Eastern art a gold circle or halo around the head of the subject indicates somebody who has been enlightened.  In Chinese history a person who has been enlightened, is referred to as a sage.  I believe that each plate on this kabuto represents one of the legendary seven sages from Chinese history. Don't confuse the seven sages with the seven gods. The seven sages were mortals who came together in the third century during the Three Kingdoms Period. They were composed of Taoist scholars who wished to escape corruption and atmosphere of city and court life to get back to fundamentals in the country side and lead a rustic life. The Seven Sages stressed the enjoyment of ale, personal freedom, spontaneity, a celebration of nature, and wrote Taoist poems that criticized the Confucian Jin dynasty which came to power....My kind of guys!  So why are there only six plates with six sages?  If we look closely at the inside of the kabuto we see that there are three repaired holes in the top of the kabuto. This does not detract from the kabuto.  In fact it adds to it because these three repair marks are holes for rivets that would have secured a 'ZUDATE' to the top of the kabuto.  A zudate is a crest, ornament etc.. that is secured to the top of the kabuto, much like a maedate is secured to the front, wakidate at the sides and ushiro date in the rear. This helps us to understand why there are only six sages. The zudate would have been in the form of a halo. The halo would have gone around the head of the wearer, bringing the wearer into the scene. the wearer would have most likely been the representation of XiKang, behind whose whose house they gathered in a bamboo grove. Thus they were known as the 'Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove'. The subject matter and form of this kabuto is refined and balanced. The detail is done right down to the weave of the fabric of the sages clothes, and the hairs on the sage's heads. This piece is a true work of art; and perhaps the best of its kind.  A pride and pleasure to be presented at Yamabushi Antiques.