Samurai Shoulder Guard

One of a pair of iron armored samurai shoulder guards (sode). A six lame shoulder guard that attaches to the armored shoulder straps (watagami) of a cuirass. The top of the shoulder guard has two green, silk cords attached that extend past the bottom lame to form knots ending in tassels. The top plate has an outcurving rim and the surface below the rim has lacquer built up imitating armored scales. Each lame is coated with black lacquer formed into "false scales" (kiritsuke kozane) to give the appearance of individual scales. Lames are connected to one another with dark blue silk lacing in the kebiki-odoshi style. The reverse/interior has a panel of blue patterned leather with small white flowers covering the top five lames.