Kabuto - Parts of The kabuto

Parts of The kabuto

• Hachi (helmet bowl): A typical kabuto features a strong bowl (hachi), which protected the crown of the head; it was usually constructed from three to over a hundred metal plates (tate hagi-no-ita), riveted together. The rivets (hoshi) that secure the metal plates of the kabuto to each other could be raised, creating a form known as hoshi-bachi, or "hammered flat", leaving only the flanges of the plates protruding, a form known as suji-bachi; hari bachi kabuto had no flanges showing and the rivets are filed flush. Some of the finer hachi were signed by smiths, usually from one of several known families, such as the Myochin, Saotome, Haruta, Unkai, or Nagasone families.

• Hachi, Fujishima Shrine, Fukui Japan

• Ancient hachi, Tokyo National Museum

• Various hachi shapes: 1)Nari Akoda, 2)Goshozan, 3)Heichozan, 4)Koseizan, 5)Tenkokuzan, 6)Zenshozan

• Tate hagi-no-ita (the individual helmet bowl plates): Some kabuto were constructed with over 100 individual tate hagi-no-ita riveted together.

• Close up of the tate hagi-no-ita of a hari bachi kabuto

• Tate hagi-no-ita (helmet bowl plates)

• Tate hagi-no-ita - pie-shaped

• Nami-gata tate hagi-no ita - wave-shaped

• Tehen or hachiman-za: On most types of kabuto, the plates are arranged vertically, and radiate from an opening in the top of the hachi called the tehen or hachiman-za (seat of the war god, Hachiman). One purpose of the tehen was thought to be for the warrior to pass his top knot through. Although this usage was largely abandoned after the Kamakura-Muromachi period, other possible reasons for the tehen could have been for ventilation or just the result of how the plates were riveted together.Zunari kabuto and momonari kabuto did not usually have a tehan.

• This close up view of the inside of a hachi shows the tehen; the flange of the tehen kanamono can be seen.

• In this close up, the flange of the tehen kanamono also can be seen.

• Close up view of the inside of a hachi, showing the tate hagi-no-ita and the tehen or hachiman-za

• Another close up view of the inside of a hachi

• Tehen kanamono (decorative ring): The tehen remained as a feature of most helmets, and was decorated with tehen kanamono, which were rings of intricately worked, soft metal bands that surrounded the opening of the tehen. Tehan kanamono usually resembled a chrysanthemum.

• Shikoro (neck guard): Kabuto incorporate a suspended neck guard called a shikoro. This is usually composed of three to seven semicircular, lacquered metal or oxhide lames, attached and articulated by silk or leather lacing (odoshi), although some shikoro were composed of 100 or more small metal scales (kozane) in a row. This system of lames is the standard technology of defense employed, along with chain armour (kusari), for the body protection in Japanese armour. The shikoro could also be made from panels of cloth with kusari sewn to the cloth (kusari shikoro).

• Lacquered iron shikoro (neck guard)

• Antique Japanese (samurai) Edo period karuta kabuto with a kusari shikoro

• Shinobi-no-o: Kabuto would be secured to the head by a chin cord (shinobi-no-o) that would usually be tied to the various posts and or hooks of the facial armour (mengu); if no facial armour were worn, the shinobi-no-o would be tied under the chin.

• Suji bachi kabuto showing the shinobi-no-o (helmet cord)

• Another suji bachi kabuto showing the shinobi-no-o

• Suji bachi kabuto showing the shinobi-no-o being worn tied under the chin

• Ukebari (hachi lining): The interior of the hachi would have a cloth lining.

• Ukebari (helmet liner) and shinobi-no-o (chin cord)

• Ukebari and shinobi-no-o

• Ukebari and shinobi-no-o

• Tatemono or datemono (helmet crests): Kabuto are often adorned with crests called datemono or tatemono; the four types of crests were: maedate (front crest), wakidate (side crests), kashiradate (top crest), and ushirodate (rear crest). These can be family or clan emblems, or flat or sculptural objects representing animals, mythical entities, prayers or other symbols. Horns are particularly common, and many kabuto sport kuwagata, or stylized deer horns.

• Various kabuto maedate (front crests)

• Fukigaeshi (wing- or ear-like projections on both sides of the kabuto)

• Mabizashi (brim or visor)

• Datemono tsunamoto (various fittings on the kabuto for the attachment of datemono)

• Maedate tsunamoto

• Oharaidate

• Wakidate tsunamoto

• Kasa jirushi no kan (a ring at the back of a kabuto designed to carry a small identification flag (kasa jirushi): On later helmets, an agemaki bow was tied to the kasa jirushi no kan.