Kabuto

File:F-19987 E0022624.jpg

Dō-maru kabuto. Muromachi period, 15th century, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property

File:南蛮胴具足の兜.jpg

Kabuto of gusoku (Tosei-gusoku) armor European-style cuirass, 16th - 17th century, Azuchi-Momoyama - Edo period, Tokyo National Museum

(兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors that, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan.

Note that in the Japanese language, the word is an appellative, not a type description, and can refer to any combat helmet.

Every year on Children's Day, May 5, Japanese households display miniature kabuto and samurai armor in keeping with the tradition of Tango no Sekku. In feudal times, real samurai armor, kabuto, and tachi were displayed.

History

Japanese helmets dating from the fifth century have been found in excavated tombs. Called (attached-visor helmet), the style of these kabuto came from China and Korea. They had a pronounced central ridge.

, now known as samurai helmets, first appeared in the 10th century Heian period with the appearance of ō-yoroi. Until the early Muromachi period, were made by combining dozens of thin iron plates. Generally, only daimyo and samurai at the rank of commander wore ornaments called (立物), which were shaped like a pair of hoes. In the middle of the Muromachi period, as the number of large group battles increased, ordinary samurai wore in the shape of a hoe, the sun, the moon, or their flag on their to show their courage or to distinguish friend from foe.

In the Sengoku period in the 16th century, when the scale of war increased and the guns called became popular, the armor styles called and became outdated. As a response to the popularity of , the armor style of () was created. were made by combining three to four pieces of iron plates. These were more bulletproof than the conventional style and could be mass produced. The became more eccentric and huge. Some were made of iron, but for safety reasons on the battlefield, they were often made with molded, lacquer-coated paper. In the Azuchi–Momoyama period, had a simple, bold design in accordance with the popularity of Momoyama culture.

In the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate defeated the Toyotomi clan in the Summer Siege of Osaka. Japanese society became more peaceful and medieval armor styles were revived. - and Template:Nbhstyle were made again. Ornamental kawari kabuto ("strange helmet") were made during this time that had "figures of animals, [kami], or various other objects mounted on top of them". Kabuto during this time were made "from materials including iron, gold-copper alloy, lacquer, leather, silk, wood, gesso, bone[,] and gesso binder".

The kabuto was an important part of the equipment of the samurai, and played a symbolic role as well, which may explain the Japanese expressions, sayings, and codes related to them. For instance, translates literally to "Tighten the string of the kabuto after winning the war". This refers to not reducing one's efforts after success; an equivalent saying in English would be "Don't rest on your laurels". (lit. "to take off the kabuto") means "to surrender".

• Script error: No such module "Lang".. Muromachi period, 15th century, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property
  . Muromachi period, 15th century, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property
• Script error: No such module "Lang".. Azuchi–Momoyama period, 16th–17th century, Suntory Museum of Art
  . Azuchi–Momoyama period, 16th–17th century, Suntory Museum of Art
• Script error: No such module "Lang"., attributed to Sakakibara Yasumasa. Edo period, 17th century, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property
  , attributed to Sakakibara Yasumasa. Edo period, 17th century, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property
• Script error: No such module "Lang". with octopus. 18th century, Edo period. Stibbert Museum
  with octopus. 18th century, Edo period. Stibbert Museum
• Fancy Kabuto with Tokugawa Clan Crest and Design of Butterflies and Dragonflies. Edo period, 18th century. Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
  Fancy Kabuto with Tokugawa Clan Crest and Design of Butterflies and Dragonflies. Edo period, 18th century. Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
• Script error: No such module "Lang". style Script error: No such module "Lang". with a medieval revival style. Edo period, 19th century, Tokyo National Museum.
  style with a medieval revival style. Edo period, 19th century, Tokyo National Museum.

Parts of the kabuto

File:Kabuto basic parts.jpg

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The basic parts of the kabuto include:

• , a dome composed of overlapping elongated plates called
• , a small opening at the top of the , usually fitted with a (an ornamental grommet, often resembling a chrysanthemum)
• , a brim or visor on the front of the
• , a cloth lining inside the
• , mounting points for attaching crests
• , a ring at the back of the for securing a (helmet flag)
• , wing-like or ear-like projections to the sides of the
• , a suspended neck guard composed of multiple overlapping lames
• (chin cord), often used to secure the (facial armour)

A typical features a central dome constructed of anywhere from three to over a hundred metal plates riveted together. These were usually arranged vertically, radiating from a small opening in the top. The rivets securing these metal plates to each other could be raised (a form known as ) or hammered flat (a form known as ); another form, called , had the rivets filed flush. Some of the finer were signed by their makers, usually from one of several known families, such as the Myochin, Saotome, Haruta, Unkai, or Nagasone families.

File:Jidai Matsuri 2009 228.jpg

A with the cords tied under the chin; note the prominent front crest, the recurving , and the composed of hundreds of interlaced scales

A small opening in the top of the , called the or (seat of the war god, Hachiman), was thoughtTemplate:According to whom to be for passing the warrior's top knot through. Although this practice was largely abandoned after the Muromachi period, this opening may have been retained for purposes of ventilation or simply as an artifact of how the plates were riveted together. The was usually decorated with , which were rings of intricately worked, soft metal bands often resembling a chrysanthemum. and were two helmet forms that did not usually have an opening at the top.

incorporated a suspended neck guard called a , usually composed of three to seven semicircular, lacquered metal or oxhide lames, attached and articulated by silk or leather lacing, although some were composed of 100 or more small metal scales in a row. This lamellar armour style, along with (mail armour), was the standard technology of Japanese body armour, and some were made of mail sewn to a cloth lining (a form called ).

The was secured to the head by a chin cord called , which would usually be tied to posts or hooks on the (facial armour) or simply tied under the chin.

are often adorned with crests called or ; the four types of decorations were the (frontal decoration), (side decorations), (top decoration), and (rear decoration). These can be family crests (mon), or flat or sculptural objects representing animals, mythical entities, prayers or other symbols. Horns are particularly common, and many kabuto incorporate , stylized antlers.

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  Various shapes:Template:Ordered list
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  Many wavy shaped plates form a . A colourful can be seen at the top.
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  , a ring for securing a (helmet flag) to the
• Lacquered iron Script error: No such module "Lang". (neck guard)
  Lacquered iron (neck guard)
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  The can be seen to both sides of the (brim), and the (cord) secures the (facial armour).
• Maedate, c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".–1894, from the Oxford College Archives of Emory University
  Maedate, c. Template:Trim–1894, from the Oxford College Archives of Emory University
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  Various (front crests)
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  (mounting point for front crest)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (mounting point for side crest)
  (mounting point for side crest)

Types of kabuto

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Suji bachi kabuto

is a multiple-plate type of Japanese helmet with raised ridges or ribs showing where the helmet plates come together; the rivets may be filed flat or they may be left showing, as in the .

Hoshi-bachi kabuto

(star helmet bowl) with protruding rivet heads, have large rivets (), small rivets () and a rivet with a chrysantemoid-shaped washer at its base (). could also be if there were raised ribs or ridges showing where the helmet plates came together.

Hari bachi kabuto

is multiple-plate Japanese with no ribs or ridges showing where the helmet plates come and the rivets are filed flush.

Zunari kabuto

File:Zunari kabuto1.JPG

Edo period iron

The is a simple, five-plate design.

Tatami kabuto

A great number of simpler, lightweight, folding, portable armours for lower-ranking samurai and foot soldiers () were also produced. These were called armour, and some featured collapsible (also called ), made from articulated lames. did not use rivets in their construction; instead, lacing or chain mail was used to connect the pieces to each other.

Kaji kabuto

were a type of helmet worn by samurai firemen.

Jingasa

were war hats made in a variety of shapes, worn by (foot soldiers) and samurai, which could be made from leather or metal.

Kawari kabuto, or strange helmet

During the Momoyama period of intense civil warfare, kabuto were made to a simpler design of three or four plates, lacking many of the ornamental features of earlier helmets. To offset the plain, utilitarian form of the new helmet, and to provide visibility and presence on the battlefield, armorers began to build fantastic shapes on top of the simple helmets in (papier-mâché mixed with lacquer over a wooden armature), though some were constructed entirely of iron. These shapes mimicked forms from Japanese culture and mythology, including fish, cow horns, the head of the god of longevity, bolts of silk, head scarves, Ichi-no-Tani canyon, and axe heads, among many others. Some forms were realistically rendered, while others took on a very futuristic, modernist feel.

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  , a type of which used papier-mâché mixed with lacquer for the elaborate decoration (the shell) on an iron bowl, beginning of the Edo Period, 17th century . Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas (Texas)
• A Kofun period (fifth century) early Script error: No such module "Lang". made of iron and gilt copper, from Ise Province
  A Kofun period (fifth century) early made of iron and gilt copper, from Ise Province
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (chrysantemoid-shaped washer at the base of the rivet). This is also a Script error: No such module "Lang"., as it has raised ridges.
  (chrysantemoid-shaped washer at the base of the rivet). This is also a , as it has raised ridges.
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• Script error: No such module "Lang". type, constructed from hardened leather (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
  type, constructed from hardened leather ()
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See also

• Zischägge, a similarly shaped European helmet