Samurai Front Cuirass

Front section of a black lacquered, rawhide, five-section, samurai cuirass (nerigawa kuro urushi tatehagi go-mai-do). This section of armor is hinged on both sides where it connects to the left side section and front right side section of the cuirass. The cuirass is secured by a tweed cord that reaches from the back right side section to the front section of the cuirass. This design allows the wearer to easily put on or remove the cuirass when assembled. This front section of the cuirass is constructed of a thin, upper plate and a large, lower plate, both made of rawhide. Each plate is coated with black lacquer. The larger plate has ridges of lacquer built up to imitate the appearance of three vertical plates (tateage) riveted together. Plates are connected to one another with faded blue silk cords laced together in the sugake-odoshi style. The top lame has a row of cross knot tweed lacing above the faded blue lacing. The upper-most front plate (muna-ita) supports toggles made of horn which would secure the shoulder straps which are attached to the back section of the cuirass.

Two, six lame pendant-like tassets (gessan), hang from the bottom of this section of the cuirass (eight total tassets when the cuirass is assembled). The lames get progressively wider as they advance down the gessan. Each rawhide lame is coated with black lacquer, though much of it has chipped off. The lames are connected to one another with faded blue lacing in the sugake-odoshi style. The bottom lame showcases a row of tweed lacing above a bottom row of faded orange lacing in a cross knot pattern. Tweed laces also line the left and right edges of the throat guard.