#myochin

[acrosscenturiesandgenerations]

▪Helmet. Artist: Myochin  Date: 1st half 17th century Period: Momoyama-early Edo Place of origin: Japan Medium: Iron, silver, brass, copper, cinnabar, silk, cloth.

[fishstickmonkey]

Suit of Armor with the Buddhist Deity Fudo Myo-o

Myochin (Metalworker)

Japan, 18th-19th century; Assembled: ca. 1900 (Meiji)

iron, lacquer, textile, wood

the Walters Art Museum

[acrosscenturiesandgenerations]

▪Helmet with Phoenix and Battle-Axe Ornaments. Myochin Place of origin: Japan Date/Period: 1825-1875, late Edo Medium: iron, lacquer, silk, wood, baleen, rawhide

[explodingrocks]

Hon-kozane nimai-dô gusoku. Mid Edo Period (1615-1967) Tachi-dô style, made in black lacquered hon-kozane (true scale) of iron and leather; the interiors in gold lacquer. The kebiki odoshi in pale green silk. The armour is fitted with a “mutsu karakan ni juni kiku” kamon.

32 plate suji-bachi kabuto. The bowl is mounted in gilt copper and shakudô. The style of the decoration of this kabuto can be confronted with very similar helmets made by Myochin Munesuke and Muneakira around 1720-30. The menpô is an exceptional work by Myôchin Muneakira, signed and dated 1732 The forearm of each kote is in sanbon-tsutsu style, made by three hinged plates, with a stunning embossed floral decoration of peonies. The design is in fact on different levels and Muneakira shows a real talent in creating a true three dimensional effect rather than a mere low-relief. The same sharp workmanship is then found on the upper part of the arm, where a shikami (demon) head with a fierce expression is embossed on la large rectangular plate.

I love the Kote design. More information on this beautiful armour can be read at Giuseppe Piva Gallery

[explodingrocks]

Black-lacquer Do-Maru and Myochin-school Kabuto. Helmet attributed to Muneyasu (Myochin Muneyasu), Muromachi period, 15th-16th century, armor Edo period (18th century) Constructed of lacquered-leather scales and elegantly laced in white, green and orange in vertical configuration. A sixteen-plate russet-iron suji Kabuto constructed of broad plates worked on the surface to a rough texture, the flanges fitted with gilt-copper fukurin and surmounted by a four-stage gilt-copper tehen kanamono, the mabisashi applied with stenciled doe skin, trimmed in gilt-metal fukurin and fitted with gilt-metal kuwagata dai pierce carved with chrysanthemums and floral scroll and supporting a gilt-metal kuwagata and a large disc maedate, the bowl fitted with a wide three-lame omanju jikoro and a full fukigaeshi applied with stenciled doe skin and gilt-metal family crests; the do-maru lacquered with a "stone finish" mounted with gilt-copper hardware, some of it carved with paulownia crests on a nanako ground, the munaita applied with stenciled doe skin decorated with the Sanskrit character for Fudo Myo-o, the wakiita applied with gilt leather, seven sections of four-lame kusazari

[explodingrocks]

Saotome and Myochin Gusoku. Helmet by Saotome Iesada, 18th century, the cuirass by Myochin Soshu, dated 1852 Laced in blue with orange and white trim, a sixty-two plate kabuto lacquered russet and adorned with a four-stage tehen kanamono, the wide three-lame shikoro ending in large fukigaeshi applied with stenciled doe skin and Watanabe family heraldic crests, mabisashi decorated to match and finished with a gilt-copper "rope" fukurin, bowl signed Joshu ju Saotome Iesada saku, the kuwagata gilt copper and the large Chinese lion maedate gold lacquer; the russet-lacquer menpo applied with a boar-bristle mustache and chin tuft, fitted with a five-lame hinged yodarekake; the cuirass a mogami do signed Myochin ki Soshu saku kore and dated Ka'ei gonen mizunoene nigatsu hi (a day in the second month of 1852), the munaita and wakiita applied with stenciled doe skin, mounted with seven sections of five-lame kusazuri, gilt-copper hardware; gyoyo applied with gilt-copper Watanabe heraldic crests; osode; kawara haidate; hinged tsubo gote With two lacquer trays and a document box decorated with Watanabe family heraldic crests in gold hiramakie on a roiro ground. Watanabe family The Watanabe were the feudal lords of Musashino province. The first recognized head of the clan was Watanabe Mototsuna (1665-1728). In 1698 they moved to Izumi province where they stayed for 9 generations. In 1871, when the feudal system was dismantled, the Watanabe family were given the title Viscount.

[explodingrocks]

Myochin Iron Kawari Kabuto. By Myochin Muneyasu, dated 1789 Constructed of eight plates riveted together forming a broad helmet bowl with a low profile, the front hammered up and carved to form the elaborated beak and face of a kappa, the eyebrows boldly carved in swirling whorls and the nostrils pierced, possibly for ventilation, the top of the bowl nearly flat in imitation of the reservoir on the pate of the mythical creature, the interior lacquered gold and signed Myochin (no) ki Muneyasu and dated Kansei ni-nen (1789); fitted with a five-lame shikoro laced in orange

[explodingrocks]

Composite Gusoku by Myochin Nobuiye and Myochin Shikibu Muneakira. Late Muromachi and Edo Period, early 16th and 18th century. Helmet signed Myochin Nobuiye, do signed Myochin Shikibu Muneakira, The helmet a sixty two plate russet iron suji bachi with a tosei mabisashi covered in sakura gawa, a three lame o-manju jikoro black lacquered and laced in red sugake odoshi, large fukigaeshi overlaid by pierced gilt metal plates and a rimbo (precious wheel) on the front a large modern gilt dragon maedate. The large chu sode lacquered and laced to match the shikoro. A black lacquered iron menpo with modern hair moustache, good quality russet iron shino gote russet iron shino suneate and black lacquered leather scale haidate. The tatami do of russet iron plates joined by mail, the three main front plates riveted together and engraved with Fudo and his two acolytes Kongara Doji and Seitaka Doji, on the upper right is a tameshi bullet mark.