Armor

This magnificent suit of Japanese armor represents a light, form-fitting type designed to protect the body in man-to-man combat. Specialized craftsmen laced together hundreds of lacquered metal and leather plates with red and indigo silk cords to give the suit its distinctive appearance as well as its flexibility. In keeping with the suit's primary purpose to protect its high-ranking wearer, it includes a face-mask, forearm sleeves, thigh and shin guards, and bear-fur boots. The set may have belonged to Tokugawa Yorinobu (1602-1671), the feudal lord of Kii Province. The suit's integrity, quality, artistry, and association to one of the leading fiefdoms of pre-modern Japan make it a prime example of Japanese armor.