Samurai Arm Guard

A pair of brown-lacquered, iron, splint style samurai arm guards (shino-gote). The exterior fabric is made of blue silk with gold brocade in a complex geometric and flower pattern. The interior fabric is blue. The fabrics are joined at an edge with an inner trim (fusegumi) of decorative white, black and green thread sewn in a herringbone pattern and an outer trim of blue cloth. This same decorative trim also outlines the armored panel on the sleeve, which covers the entire outer arm. The upper end of the armored panel has a strip of stenciled leather and two blue silk cords.

Mail (kusari) made of small, circular links connects iron splints (shino) on the upper and lower arms. The upper arm has 88 thin, rectangular splints arranged in 4 rows of 22 plates each, all coated with brown lacquer. The lowest row has splints cut on an angle just above the elbow. The lower arm has 8 long splints on the outside of the arm and 10 shorter splints on the inside, each coated with brown lacquer. The hand guard (tekko) is made of 4 black-lacquered, iron plates. The elbow plate (hijigane) is designed to look like a chrysanthemum flower.