Main content
Course: Asian Art Museum > Unit 7
Lesson 3: Lesson 3: The Samurai- An introduction to the Samurai
- Dog chasing
- Archery practice
- Military camp jacket
- Tale of the Heike
- Haniwa in the form of a warrior
- A brief history of samurai armor
- Samurai armor
- Helmet with half-face mask
- Military leader's fan
- Arrival of a Portuguese ship
- Short sword (wakizashi) and long sword (katana)
- Matchlock gun and pistol
- From castle to palace: samurai architecture
© 2024 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice
Helmet with half-face mask
What are the three components of armor found here?
The main element is a helmet (kabuto) with a two-lobed projection attached at the back of the bowl and ornamental ridges fanning out from the crest. Suspended at the back and sides is a six-tiered neck guard. Completing the assembly is a red half-mask—complete with wrinkles, teeth, and bristling facial hair—rising above a four-tiered throat guard.
Who might have worn this helmet?
High-ranking samurai from the 1500s to the 1800s wore flamboyant helmets designed and produced according to their specifications.
What is the purpose of such a helmet?
Beyond the obvious need for defense, the creation of such equipment emerged from the samurai’s desire to stand out on the battlefield. A helmet’s distinctive features, especially the shaped attachments that appear on many examples, identified the wearer and ensured that his actions were visible to all. Visual symbols of leadership, these helmets set apart those who were morally accountable for battlefield decisions, according to the samurai code. They could also be used to identify warriors after death, and were part of the military regalia in which they were buried.
Some elements, such as this mask, were surely meant to intimidate opponents: the red face, aggressive expression and facial hair would create a frightening impression. Red was a color thought to ward off evil, and made the warrior resemble one of a host of powerful, red-faced deities familiar in Japanese lore.
How was this type of armor made?
The helmet bowl is made of iron, but the projections at the top appear to have been built up first with leather then with laminated paper coated with layers of dark-brown lacquer (necessary for waterproofing). The back of the helmet was finished with red lacquer, and the front was coated to resemble oxidized iron. The neck guard on this helmet consists of six horizontal iron bands, coated with lacquer and laced together with turquoise-colored silk cords. The throat guard, fastened at the lower edge of the face cover, is similarly constructed. Iron was also used for the mask, though the nose was formed separately and secured with pins, allowing for removal. The high level of craftsmanship and expensive materials used here are indicative of the samurai’s wealth and status; ordinary warriors would not be able to afford such protection.
Want to join the conversation?
- Am I the only one here for school?(4 votes)
- What was the red mask called by the Japanese Samurai?(2 votes)
- The kabuto mask, in general, was called "Men-gu".(2 votes)
- How much did these helmets typically weigh?(1 vote)
- Who were the "red faced deities" that the mask was supposed to resemble?(1 vote)
- The red faced deities were seen as protectors as red supposedly warded of evil(1 vote)
- What in tarnation was that goofy aah helmet they showed at the top bro, I know that a ton of samurai helmets were funny looking, heck I've even seen a dolphin-designed one but that looked garbage!(1 vote)
- You need to do more than just look at the picture. Everything about which you wonder and ask is answered in the text that appears beneath the picture.(1 vote)
- How well could you see using the face mask?(1 vote)
- why does the mask have a fake mustache?(0 votes)
- "Some elements, such as this mask, were surely meant to intimidate opponents: the red face, aggressive expression and facial hair would create a frightening impression."(2 votes)