Japanese ō-yoroy armor attributed to the Sakai clan. - Lot 246

Japanese ō-yoroy armor attributed to the Sakai clan. Suji kiku kabuto in riveted iron slats, gold sun wakidate. Shikoro with five blades and braided silk, missing mepō. Dō in iron fogé in four parts, the upper one hinged and decorated with a brass leaf with wave decoration. Sode with six blades and silk framed with brass plates. Kote in silk lined with plates and mesh, articulated tekkō in the extension. Kusazuri in lacquered blades and silk en suite. Suneate en suite. Almost every piece of armor bridges the Kamon of the Sakai clan. Some missing parts. Fine Edo period workmanship. The Sakai clan has its origins in medieval Japan. The shogunate entrusted them with ensuring the security of Edo and the surrounding area. The clan was particularly famous for its resistance to imperial troops during the Boshin War, when it formed a coalition with several other clans from northern Honshu.