Samurai Thigh Guard

Armored samurai thigh guard (haidate) of overlapping scales. The two joined panels hang below the cuirass to protect the thighs. The exterior fabric is of blue silk with gold brocade in a complex geometric and flower pattern. The upper sections have strips of reinforcing stenciled 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 the same reinforcing leather and serve to hold the wearer's riding crop. Each section of reinforcing leather is also edged with strips of blue and white patterned leather. Two flaps on the sides of each panel secure the thigh guard around the wearer's thighs. The upper edge is closed with blue fabric, though it has been covered with a purple mesh due to poor condition, that extends to form straps that tie around the wearer's waist. A short, tweed cord is attached at the center, between the two panels, to attach the thigh guard to the rest of the armor. The entire guard is edged with blue leather and the interior is undecorated light blue silk.

On the lower section of each panel, the armored portion is made up of five rows of black-lacquered, iron lames made up of many small, true scales (hon kozane) meticulously bound together. The 1st (top) lame connects to the second with tan silk lacing, the 2nd lame to the 3rd with light blue lacing, and the remaining lames with dark blue lacing. This gradient pattern with the lightest color at the top and darkest at the bottom is called susogu-odoshi, and is inherently laced in the kebiki-odoshi style. The bottom lame also showcases a row of tweed lacing above the bottom row of orange lacing in a cross knot pattern. The 1st lame is also adorned with three chrysanthemum base plates, each with two chrysanthemum rivets, with tweed cross knot lacing between each plate. A strip of padding surrounds the armored plates on three of four sides.