kabuto　冑

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

Also written 兜. A helmet, usually made of iron. The earliest Japanese helmets were made in the Kofun period. There were two types: the shoukakutsuki kabuto 衝角付冑 which has a raised front called shoukakubu 衝角部 and a low rim, and the mabisashitsuki kabuto 眉庇付冑 which is hemispherical with a horizontal visor called *mabisashi 眉庇. The crown of the helmet is called hachi 鉢, and featured iron strips tomebyou 留鋲 that were tacked to the rim at the back and sides to protect neck *shikoro 錣. During subsequent centuries the construction of helmets became more complex, and their size increased. This is well illustrated by the hoshikabuto 星冑 (star-helmet) typical of the Kamakura period. Radiating metal strips are fixed to the crown with large tacks. The helmet was often named according to the size, shape and number of the tacks, called hoshi 星. Representative features of the hoshikabuto are: the high hoe-shaped decoration kuwagata maedate 鍬形前立 with an animal head at the base (see *maedate 前立, *shigami 獅噛); the circular hole in the top centre of the crown tamaberi 玉縁 often used to support other ornaments; a ring of petals *kikuza 菊座 around the tamaberi; a chevron-shaped edge aoibaza 葵葉座 (hollyhock-leaf pedestal) surrounding the kikuza. The number of pointed tips on the aoibaza corresponded to the number of metal strips attached to the crown, and hoshi were used on the tips of the aoibaza. Strips with leaf-shaped tips were called shinodare 鎬垂 and were sometimes made of gilt-bronze. The hoshikabuto has a visor, cords shimeo 忍緒, and the sides of the rim are inverted *fukikaeshi 吹返. The layers of the rim are numbered, and the names hachitsuke-no-ita 鉢付の板 and hishinui-no-ita 菱縫の板 refer to the highest and lowest layers respectively. The hoshikabuto and its variations continued to be used until the late Muromachi period, although a range of new shapes and styles of helmet appeared. Examples include: the sujikabuto 筋冑 (veined helmet), popular in the Nanbokuchou period; shiinomigata kabuto 椎実形冑 (acorn-shaped helmet), with a pointed tip; momogatakabuto 桃形冑 (peach-shaped helmet), a helmet influenced by western European models with a ridge along the top; eboshi 烏帽子, derived from Nara period hats of lacquered paper ichinotani kabuto 一の谷冑 (single-valley helmet), said to be named after the steep valley Ichinotani 一の谷 in Hyougo prefecture. In Buddhist sculpture, male guardian deities *ten 天 are depicted in helmets. Two distinct styles can be seen; the first, found on Heian and pre-Heian figures is strongly influenced by Chinese helmets. The helmet fits closely over the head, and can be seen on the Jikokuten ryuuzou 持国天立像 in Toudaiji 東大寺, Nara. The second style, predominant from the Kamakura period is illustrated by Konpiraou 金比羅王 in Rengeouin 蓮華王院, Kyoto. It is much larger, elevated up, off the head to the point where the hair is visible. It has a visor.

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