87. 87W A FINE GOLD- AND SILVER-INLAID RUSSET-IRON ARMOUR Edo period (1615-1868), beginning 20th century The component parts all honkozane, with blue kebiki lacing with white and orange highlights, comprising a natural-iron shiinari (acorn-shaped) kabuto constructed of eight plates decorated on the surface with serpentine dragons in clouds, the rear plate with Buddhist incantations, all in gold and silver nunome zōgan, the mabizashi trimmed with a gilt copper fukurin, the bowl fitted with a five-lame shikoro, the top lame terminating in wide fukigaeshi applied with printed leather and circular silver crest with hawk feathers, the front with a wood maedate of Fudō Myō-ō on a rock base before a flame mandorla; the ressei-men applied with a stiff bristle moustache, and the chin applied with two orikugi (cord pegs) and a tsuyu otoshi no ana (sweat hole), fitted with a five-lame yodarekake; the two-lame nodowa attached with printed leather and finished with gilt-metal hardware pierced with chrysanthemum scrolls; the cuirass a five-plate yukinoshita dō decorated with Seiōbo, the Queen Mother of the West, riding on her dragon mount in silver and gold nunomezōgan, the rear plate with a lengthy commendatory inscription, signed Nobuaki and Nobumitsu and dated 1854, with seven sections of five-lame kusazuri lacquered red, gyōyō applied with printed leather; six-lame tsubo sode; chain mail and splint kote decorated on the splints and tekkō in finely inlaid silver with karakusa scrolling vines and a crest of hawk feathers; the haidate of plates and chain mail; Bishamon tsubo suneate (articulated iron shin guards); kōgake and waraji; with an armour stand and one storage box