Yukinoshita-do style armor
Breastplate and two sideplates of a hinged five-section yukinoshita-do style armor, with embossed design of a dragon
Japanese
18th century
iron, copper alloy, gold lacquer and silk cord
39.4 x 26.7 cm (15 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.); weight: 4 lb. 8 oz.
The John Woodman Higgins Collection
2014.23
Traditional Japanese armor consisted of small plates laced together, as in the nearby samurai harness. Such armor was effective against virtually all weapons, except firearms. Plate armor was introduced in the 1500s to deal with the new weaponry, and continued to be used in the Edo period for ceremonial purposes.
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