photo #2265143

Kuroda Nagamasa's Sekigahara ArmourThe armour worn by Kuroda Nagamasa at the Battle of Sekigahara, is now owned by the Fukuoka City Museum. The armor is interesting in that the main body armour consists of horizontal lames, like most samurai armour, however, unlike most armour that opens and closes like a 2-piece clam shell around the body, Nagamasa's armour is separated into 5 segments, hinged at 4 points. (2 of those hinges can be seen on the front of the Do, body armour, in this pic)The Kusazuri (plates covering the hips and upper thighs and hanging from the Do) are not steel, but lacquered raw leather. The armour does not have Sode, the large shoulder protectors, just Kote sleeves with chain mail and steel splints.Most noticeable is the Kabuto helmet. Known as an Ichinotani Kabuto, it is supposed to represent the cliffs of Ichi-no-Tani, site of one of the most famous battles of the Genpei war (1180-1185) between the Minamoto and Taira clans.