Ancient
Weapons & Armory

Japanese helmets, also called kabuto are beautifully designed in detail by highly skilled craftsmen of Hanwei. The samurai helmets of Japan often had black finished metal, brass head piece and colorfully decorated neck protector. These helmets are now considered a definite mantel piece for any collection of Samurai Armor.

Usually made of iron, the earliest Japanese helmets were made in the Kofun period (250-552). They were primarily of two types:

• Shoukakutsuki-kabuto with a raised front called shoukakubu and a low rim.
• Mabisashitsuki-kabuto that is hemispherical with a horizontal visor called, mabisashi.

The crown of the Japanese helmet is called hachi. During subsequent centuries the construction of helmets became complex and the size of helmets increased. Radiating metal strips were fixed to the crown with large tacks and the helmet was often named according to the size, shape and number of the tacks, called hoshi. The representative features of the hoshikabuto are the high hoe-shaped decoration with an animal head at the base; the circular hole in the top centre of the crown often used to support other ornaments; a chevron-shaped edge aoibaza (hollyhock-leaf pedestal). The hoshikabuto and its variations continued to be used until the late Muromachi period (15-16c), although a range of new shapes and styles of helmet appeared. These included:

• The sujikabuto (veined helmet), popular in the Nambokuchou period (late 14c)
• Shiinomigata-kabuto (acorn-shaped helmet), with a pointed tip
• Momogata-kabuto (peach-shaped helmet), a helmet influenced by western European models with a ridge along the top.
• Eboshi, derived from Nara period (8c) hats of lacquered paper ichinotani-kabuto (single-valley helmet).