A13342/2

Japanese helmet faceguard (mempo) from a panoply of Samurai armour (see A13342); probably late Edo period; the metalwork has a coating of dark brown lacquer on the outside and orange on the inside to decorate and protect the steel from corrosion; the front of the neck is protected by a flap of light chainmail backed on to textile; probably modelled in the shape of a snarling human face, and covering chin, cheeks & nose; the nose section is missing from this example; the lacquer finish is generally fair, but chipped & damaged in a few places; considerable conservation would be required to bring this up to display standard.

19th century

Japanese helmet faceguard, Japanese armour

metal, lacquer, bristle