Ronin Zunari Kawari Kabuto

ERA: Early Edo

STYLE: Ronin Zunari Kawari Kabuto

REGION: Western Japan

SCHOOL: Kaga



This kabuto is a ronin style kabuto of unusually high quality. It is based off of a zunari kabuto and the top is covered with either bear’s fur or boar’s hair giving it the look of a samurai who has let his hair grow back in, which is why this type of kawari kabuto earns the name “Ronin” (masterless samurai). The fukigaeshi and mabizashi are decorated with western style pressed leather that has been gilt and lacquered. Around the fukigaeshi and mabizashi is an extremely well carved and cut fukurin (decorative piping) made out of shakudo. It is rare to see this level of work on a zunari kabuto. In addition to being very well decorated this kabuto is extremely heavy. The plate must be at least three times the thickness of a regular zunari kabuto. While zunari are generally reserved for lower level samurai, some large daimyo such as those of the Hosokawa and Ii families, adopted the Zunari for their traditional helmet style. The style of workmanship on the fukurin, as well as the pressed leather on this kabuto with the kinbyakudan shikoro points this kabuto to western Japan, likely produced by the Kaga Myouchin armor smiths.

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