Parade armour from Japan, Asia. Collected by Edbert Hewett. Given to the Museum by Hereford Museum in 1942.
This suit of relatively modern (c.1850) parade armour displays a mixture of armouring techniques. The body armour is constructed of traditional small lamellae, laced with white silk and lacquered in gold. The apron and shoulder-guards are cut from long plates that are similar to the Roman lorica segmentata, whilst the thigh-guards are made from smaller butted plates and the sleeves, now missing, would have likely included chain mail. Curiously, the peak of the helmet is embossed with marks that imitate eyebrows and forehead wrinkles.