Samurai Armor Collar

Brigandine armored samurai collar (tate-eri or eri-mawashi) with integrated shoulder pad (eri-dai), which would be affixed beneath the armored shoulder straps (watagami) of a cuirass. This removable auxiliary armor would provide padding for the upper back and protection for the back of the neck. The green fabric lining the underside and padding within have been lost to damage. What remains of the underside is an exposed, coarse cloth interior. The unarmored portion of the top is of blue fabric and the armored portion is of hexagonal iron plates (kikko) sandwiched between two layers of fabric. The kikko are beneath a layer of vibrant, blue fabric and then burgundy lacing is sewn through each individual plate. Green thread is sewn around each plate to create a honeycomb pattern. The edge is of tan cloth.