Armor (Tatami Gusoku) with Sword, Sword Carrier, Dagger, and Spear

Armor of the “folding” (tatami) type could be contained in a small box and easily transported by one man. For this reason, it usually was intended for low-ranking infantrymen. However, the gold lacquer decoration and silk brocade lining of this example are unusual for armors of this type and suggest that it was used by a samurai serving the Date family of Sendai, from whose armory it comes.

Credit: armor: Gift of Bashford Dean, 1914; dagger: Gift of Brayton Ives and W.T. Walters, 1891; foot defenses: Rogers Fund, 1904; sword: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935; sword carrier: Gift of Dr. George M. Lefferts, 1910