This suit of armor was owned by Akitomo, the 12th and last lord of the Yanagawa domain. It has an inscription which says “Myochin Kunisada, living in Yanagawa.” Kunisada studied under the Myochin family of armorers who were employed by the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo (now Tokyo). After obtaining an armorer's license, Kunisada most likely returned to his hometown of Yanagawa and was employed by the Yanagawa domain.
The helmet was made in 1859 while the body armor was made in 1860. They were created with scrupulously refined techniques. The horn-like ornament attached to the helmet was designed after the motif of the Tachibana family crest. From this, in Lord Akitomo’s generation, the family crest seems to have been modified freely for decorations.
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