ABOUT US: At Supein Nihonto we strive to bring you high quality samurai swords and armors at prices far below the competition. We are probably the largest exporter in Europe and we are proud to anunce that we are number one TOP SELLER in Catawiki Samurai and Japanese auctions. This is especially important to save on taxes and waiting times that can exceed four months deliveries with Japanese sellers also headaches with tedious and sometimes problematic processes that further lengthen deliveries, even returning the parcel to its origin and more than 35% extra on the final price due the customs, tariffs and fees that increase the product but not the quality and the future resell. We are also professional sellers and therefore our satisfaction guarantee, knowledge and standards are superior to private sellers and with higher after sales guarantees. Thanks to this and the lowest professional prices in the industry plus our fast and efficient shipping method which rarely exceeds three days delivery in Europe, we are sure you will enjoy this great opportunity to own a piece of art that will appreciate in value for years to come and a great investment. Trust us to enjoy the samurai art. See my other samurai objects clicking on my seller`s name! ITEM: A Fine Japanese Armour (*Tōsei Gusoku*) **Edo Period, 17th–18th Century** An armour of exceptional presence and quiet authority, its sober russet-and-navy palette announcing a warrior of rank for whom restraint was itself a form of magnificence. Where lesser harnesses court the eye with gold, this suit commands it through proportion, finish, and the deep warmth of its lacquer — the unmistakable taste of the Edo elite, when armour had become as much an heirloom and a statement of lineage as an instrument of war. **The helmet (*kabuto*) is a ridged multi-plate bowl (*suji-bachi*) of fine line, lacquered in a lustrous chestnut-russet that catches the light along every rib. It is fitted with a boldly upswept peak (*mabizashi*) and squared turnbacks (*fukigaeshi*) applied with gilt clan crests, the whole crowned at the apex by a chased gilt fitting (*tehen kanamono*). Surmounting the brow is the armour's crowning glory: a gilt-metal crest (*maedate*) modelled with great delicacy as windswept pine boughs alighted upon by a crane in flight — a pairing rich in auspicious meaning, the pine for endurance and constancy, the crane for longevity and noble bearing. The neck-guard (*shikoro*) falls in graduated lacquered lames laced in navy *kebiki-odoshi*, supple and full, framing the face with quiet dignity. **The face defence (*mengu*)** is a half-mask of russet-lacquered iron, modelled — most unusually and most appealingly — with a composed, faintly smiling countenance rather than the snarling ferocity of the common type. It is the face of a commander who need not threaten to be obeyed. The upper lip is dressed with a tuft of natural hair and the mouth picked out within in red lacquer, a touch of life against the dark metal. **The cuirass (*dō*) is of handsome *okegawa-dō* form, built of broad horizontal plates of smoothly lacquered iron raised to a flawless barrel profile — a construction prized in its day for combining true protective strength with a clean, sculptural silhouette. The plate joins are concealed beneath crisp navy braid and edged throughout with polychrome knotwork of considerable refinement. The breast is mounted with gilt suspension rings and chrysanthemum-form bosses (*kan* and *za*), and dressed with generous *agemaki* bows of brilliant orange silk — the single deliberate flourish of warm colour, all the more telling for its rarity. The skirt (*kusazuri*) descends in lacquered lames laced *en suite*, the movement of the whole both martial and graceful. The armour is completed by large rectangular shoulder-guards (*sode*) and finely articulated arm-defences (*kote*) of lacquered plates worked over mail, mounted upon a luxurious foundation of green figured silk that shows handsomely between the links; the thigh-guards (*haidate*) are faced with a hexagonal-patterned brigandine textile. Throughout, the gilt *tomoe* crest recurs upon helmet and fittings, binding the ensemble together as the unified expression of a single house. A harness of genuine quality and harmonious assembly, its components speaking with one voice — an imposing and eminently displayable example of the armourer's art at its most assured. A samurai armor that will be the central focus of any room where it is placed and that will delight any fan of Japanese art. This exclusive piece is making it an incredible opportunity for any collector of Japanese, war or simply historical art to get their hands on a piece that will attract attention wherever it is displayed, from offices, to private homes, offices or restaurants and will give a regal look to any place. The armour has gilded details that show the quality of the piece. The incredible workmanship accentuates such ornate pieces as the kabuto, the mempo and the Do. The stand to assemble it and the box are included. This armour is sure to delight any collector of Asian art and will be the focal point of any visitor's home, shop or office. There is a very ancient object and there are damaged by time and tears. There is a possibility that parts may have been added later or that restoration occurred. Due to the delicacy of continuous assembly and disassembly, returns are not allowed on old armor.