photo #1945667

Samurai Armor - Hishinui.Often the very last panel, or row of scales of a Shikoro (helmet's neck guard), Nodowa (throat protector), Sode (shoulder protectors), and Kusazuri (the waist and upper thigh protectors dangling beneath the Do body armor) feature special cross-knotted braiding called Hishinui. (orange cross-knotted braiding at the lower extremities on the main pieces of the armor in the photo) While the rest of the braiding functions to keep the armor plates in position, the hishinui is simply a decorative addition to the armor. Usually it is a different color from the rest of the braiding, and orange or red were preferred. The hishinui were always tied lower left to upper right, then upper left to lower right over top.