Helmet (<i>Hoshi Kabuto</i>) and Mask with Gorget

Helmet (<i>Hoshi Kabuto</i>) and Mask with Gorget

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

During the Edo period (1615–1868), there was a conscious revival of medieval armor fashions, and this helmet is an instructive example. It was fashioned in the thirteenth-century style, and it certainly was made to accompany an armor of medieval yoroi fashion. The metal fittings on the helmet include the badge of the Hota family, daimyo (lords) of Sakura.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Helmet (<i>Hoshi Kabuto</i>) and Mask with GorgetHelmet (<i>Hoshi Kabuto</i>) and Mask with GorgetHelmet (<i>Hoshi Kabuto</i>) and Mask with GorgetHelmet (<i>Hoshi Kabuto</i>) and Mask with GorgetHelmet (<i>Hoshi Kabuto</i>) and Mask with Gorget

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.