Samurai Thigh Guard

Armored samurai thigh guard (kawara haidate) of overlapping plates. The two joined panels hang below the cuirass to protect the thighs. The shape of each panel is oval or egg-shaped, with the upper section being wider than the lower. The exterior fabric is of tan cloth with tan brocade in an ivy pattern. The upper sections have strips of reinforcing leather (chikara-gawa) from the upper edges to the mid-point, then a horizontal strip from one side to the other. Large holes toward the inner sides of the thigh guards (muchisashi-no-ana) are surrounded by a different, blue and white, patterned reinforcing leather and serve to hold the wearer's riding crop. The entire guard is edged with blue and white, patterned leather. The upper edge is closed with the same base fabric as the rest of the thigh guard, which extends to form straps that tie around the wearer's waist. On the lower section of each panel, the armored portion is made up of five rows of overlapping, rawhide (nerigawa), black-lacquered tiles. The plates are connected to one another with faded blue cross laces at the top and bottom of each row, with a row of horizontal lacing in between. The bottom lame also showcases a row of tweed lacing above the bottom row of faded orange lacing in a cross knot pattern. Due to the oval shape of the two panels, the number of armored plates used decrease from top to bottom.