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By Myochin Munekata, signed Myochin Ki Munekata saku kore
Japan, dated 1851
The components of russet-iron predominantly laced in mid-blue sugake odoshi, mounted on a rich red and gold brocade, and fitted with intricate gilt kanamono with prunus blossom design as well as kiri (paulownia) and kiku (chrysanthemum) mon, both Imperial symbols of Japan.
The armor comprising:
A twenty-eight-plate sujibachi kabuto mounted in ni-ho-jiro style with silvered plates to the front and back overlaid with gilt shinodare, a large tehen kanamono, the lowest tier decorated with prunus blossoms, and on the front a gilt kuwagata dai and kuwagata, a shakudo maedate in the form of a 5-7 Paulownia (五七桐, go-shichi kiri) mon, plus one piece of a black-lacquered crest, all above the three-lame iron black-lacquered o-manju jikoro and leather-covered mabisashi and fukigaeshi; a ressei menpo with a long hair mustache and chin tuft and a two-lame iron itamono yodarekake; pairs of itamono o-sode; a tatehagi okegawa do with black-lacquered leather itamono kusazuri, on the front gyo-yo leather; as well as pairs of russet-iron tsutsu kote and suneate, the upper plates of the kote embossed with a bonji, kawara haidate, and black-lacquered iron kogake.
Signed to the helmet, do, and menpo, Myochin Ki Munekata saku kore. The kote and suneate signed and dated Kaei yon i nigatsu kichijitsu, Myochin Ki Munekata saku kore [This was made by Myochin Munekata, resident of Kii province, on an auspicious day in the second month of the year of the boar, in the 4th year of the Kaei era (corresponding to 1851)].
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear, light scratches, minor chips to lacquer, the iron with areas of corrosion. Overall presenting beautifully.
Provenance:
- Ex-collection Robert Charles Halpin, Master Mariner (1836-1894), thence by descent.
- The property of a Gentleman in the United Kingdom, acquired from the above.
- Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 17 May 2012, lot 31 (sold for GBP 21,250 or approx. EUR 41,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).
- A noted private collection, acquired from the above.
With a paper document dating from roughly the same period as the present armor, recording the events of the Perry Expedition. The Perry Expedition was a diplomatic and military expedition in two separate voyages (1852-1853 and 1854-1855) to the Tokugawa shogunate by warships of the United States Naval corps. The goals of this expedition included exploration, surveying, and the establishment of diplomatic relations and negotiation of trade agreements with various nations of the region. Opening contact with the government of Japan was considered a top priority of the expedition and was one of the key reasons for its inception.
Robert Charles Halpin (1836-1894) was an Irish sea captain and Master Mariner. He captained the Brunel-designed steamship SS Great Eastern which laid transoceanic telegraph cables. Under his leadership, this vessel laid the first operational transatlantic telegraph cables between Ireland and Newfoundland (1866). His navigation skill was exemplified by the near-impossible task of locating and recovering the broken end of the earlier cable laid in 1865, midway across the Atlantic ocean at a depth of over 2 miles. Subsequently, as captain of the SS Great Eastern, Halpin laid over 26,000 miles of undersea cable, linking many of the world's principal cities, from the Far East to Australia. A successful pioneer of this work, he earned the nickname Mr. Cable.
The kiri mon (paulownia crest) was the private symbol of the Japanese Imperial Family, from as early as the sixteenth century. The Toyotomi clan, led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, later adopted the paulownia seal for use as the crest of his clan. After the Meiji Restoration, the seal was eventually adopted as the emblem of the Japanese government.
The kiku mon, or chrysanthemum crest, was a symbol of great importance during the Edo period in Japan, primarily associated with the Imperial family. Its sixteen-petal design became a powerful emblem of the emperor’s authority, representing longevity, rejuvenation, and a divine right to rule. While originally reserved for the Imperial household, the crest's use gradually extended to certain samurai families and government officials, signifying their connection to the Emperor. During this period, the kiku mon was not just a decorative motif but a mark of prestige and loyalty to the ruling power, reinforcing the structured hierarchy of Edo society.
The sixteen-petal chrysanthemum and the kiri mon together would suggest a branch of the Ashikaga family of Kitsuregawa.
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