Kabuto

Japanese helmets dating from the fifth century (long before the rise of the samurai class) have been found in excavated tombs. Called mabizashi-tsuke kabuto (visor-attached helmet), the style of these kabuto came from China and Korea and they had a pronounced central ridge.[1][2]

Kabuto, which is now known as a samurai helmet, first appeared in the 10th century Heian period with the appearance of ō-yoroi. In the Sengoku period in the 16th century, when battles between samurai changed into gun and group battles, ō-yoroi and dō-maru went out of fashion and tosei-gusoku (gusoku) was born, and the style of kabuto changed greatly.[3]

In the Edo period, when the Tokugawa shogunate defeated the Toyotomi clan at Summer Siege of Osaka and the society became peaceful, armor with a revival of the medieval times became popular, and ō-yoroi and dō-maru style kabuto were made again.[4]

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. One example is Katte kabuto no o wo shimeyo (lit. "Tighten the string of the kabuto after winning the war"). This means don't lower your efforts after succeeding (compare to "not to rest on one's laurels").[5] Also, kabuto wo nugu (lit. "to take off the kabuto") means to surrender.[6]

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  Dō-maru kabuto. Muromachi period, 15th century, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property
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  Gusoku kabuto. Azuchi–Momoyama period, 16th-17th century, Suntory Museum of Art
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  Kuroda Takamasa's gusoku kabuto. Edo period, 17th century, Tokyo National Museum
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  Gusoku kabuto. Edo period, 17th century, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property
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  Dō-maru style kabuto with a medieval revival style. Edo period, 19th century, Tokyo National Museum.

Media related to Kabuto (individual parts) at Wikimedia Commons

1. hachi
2. shikoro
3. fukigaeshi
4. mae-zashi
5. hari-date
6. datemono
7. hachimanza

The basic parts of the kabuto include:

• Hachi, a dome composed of overlapping elongated plates called tate hagi-no-ita
• Tehen, a small opening at the top of the hachi, usually fitted with a tehen kanamono (an ornamental grommet, often resembling a chrysanthemum)
• Mabizashi, a brim or visor on the front of the hachi
• Ukebari, a cloth lining inside the hachi
• Tsunamoto, mounting points for attaching crests
• Kasa jirushi no kan, a ring at the back of the hachi for securing a kasa jirushi (helmet flag)
• Fukigaeshi, wing-like or ear-like projections to the sides of the hachi
• Shikoro, a suspended neck guard composed of multiple overlapping lames
• Shinobi-no-o (chin cord), often used to secure the mengu (facial armour)

A typical kabuto 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 hoshi-bachi) or hammered flat (a form known as suji-bachi); another form, called hari bachi, had the rivets filed flush. Some of the finer hachi were signed by their makers, usually from one of several known families, such as the Myochin, Saotome, Haruta, Unkai, or Nagasone families.

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

A small opening in the top of the kabuto, called the tehen or hachimanza (seat of the war god, Hachiman), was thought 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.[7] The tehen was usually decorated with tehen kanamono, which were rings of intricately worked, soft metal bands often resembling a chrysanthemum.[7][8] Zunari kabuto and momonari kabuto were two helmet forms that did not usually have an opening at the top.

Kabuto incorporated a suspended neck guard called a shikoro, usually composed of three to seven semicircular, lacquered metal or oxhide lames, attached and articulated by silk or leather lacing, although some shikoro were composed of 100 or more small metal scales in a row.[9] This lamellar armour style, along with kusari (mail armour), was the standard technology of Japanese body armour, and some shikoro were made of mail sewn to a cloth lining (a form called kusari shikoro).

The kabuto was secured to the head by a chin cord called shinobi-no-o, which would usually be tied to posts or hooks on the mengu (facial armour) or simply tied under the chin.

Kabuto are often adorned with crests called datemono or tatemono;[10] the four types of decorations were the maedate (frontal decoration), wakidate (side decorations), kashiradate (top decoration), and ushirodate (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 kuwagata, stylized antlers.

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  Various hachi shapes:

  1. Nari akoda
  2. Goshozan
  3. Heichozan
  4. Koseizan
  5. Tenkokuzan
  6. Zenshozan
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  Many wavy shaped hagi-no-ita plates form a hachi. A colourful tehen kanamono can be seen at the top
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  Kasa jirushi no kan, a ring for securing a kasa jirushi (helmet flag) to the hachi
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  Lacquered iron shikoro (neck guard)
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  The fukigaeshi can be seen to both sides of the mabizashi (brim), and the shinobi-no-o (cord) secures the mengu (facial armour)
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  Maedate, c. 1800-1894, from the Oxford College Archives of Emory University
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  Various kabuto maedate (front crests)
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  Maedate tsunamoto (mounting point for front crest)
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  Wakidate tsunamoto (mounting point for side crest)

Media related to Kabuto at Wikimedia Commons