Minneapolis Institute of Art

Chain mail gloves

Japan

Date

19th century

Medium

Iron, cloth, leather

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Not all samurai during the Edo period (1603–1868) wore suits of armor. Some, like rōnin who were not in the employment of a lord or samurai police officials in the large cities like Edo, today’s Tokyo, wore chain mail (kusari) for protection. This is a matching set of chain mail jacket (kusari katabira) and gloves (kusari han kote). The linked chain is attached on layers of indigo dyed cloth, decorated with family crests in gold. The collar was once furnished with hexagon shaped iron plates (kikkō) that are now lost. Japan, Asia

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