Construction Styles
Samurai armor is generally categorized around the construction of its foundational piece, the cuirass (Dou (胴)). When describing a piece of armor there are two key aspects; type and style. The type refers to the configuration of plates, hinges, and other bits are arranged while style refers to how the individual sections are constructed. At first, understanding the dou seems to merely be a matter of combining the descriptions of the type and style, but you will find that this system breaks down rather quickly as there is a huge number of combinations of types, styles, and exceptions to every single rule. This section will help with getting familiar with the different aspects of the various methods of construction used to build lames or plates.
For the sake of keeping this a guide for hobbyist armor building, and not a historical exploration, this page will be focused on understanding how the most frequently used styles and only the armor types a hobbyist might build. For a historical understanding of this particular topic there is no better source than Samurai Armour: Volume I: The Japanese Cuirass by Trevor Absolon. Additionally, the following pages will be focused on a carefully curated selection of photos highlighting important aspects of armor moreso than text descriptions.
Hon Kozane
Hon Kozane
From the 10th to 15th century, Japanese armor was primarily constructed of small rawhide or metal scales (kozane) that were bound together to form horiztonal boards (sane ita) that were then subsequently laced together (kebiki odoshi) to form various armor componments.
Kozane generally overlap half of their width with the next one, and are bound at their base and center (with shita garami) to a stiff material (shiki gane) to add rigidity before being lacquered into a solid, but flexible board.
A hon kozane dou suit of armor was not made entirely of iron (tetsu) or rawhide (nerigawa) kozane. The two materials were used in a variety of combinations, such as alternating every other kozane or using iron kozane being used to protect important sections of the body. This was to cut down on weight and materials.
Do to the flexibility of the rawhide and urushi; armors constructed in this fashion are built without a hinge as the opening flexes open allowing the wearer to slip in. This method of construction generally was configured in two types; haramaki and maru dou.
This an absolutely brief description of an extensive topic; read more at Sengoku Daimyo or Trevor Absolon’s book.
Iyo Zane
Much like kozane, iyozane armors are made of (usually iron) scales that are bound into horizontal boards that are then assembled into a dou. But unique to iyo zane construction is the small 2mm overlap at the edge of each scale. This drastically cuts down the amount of work needed to construct each lame, and results in broad flat scales.
Due to the tiny overlaps between scales, iron or leather shiki gane are vital to this construction style functioning as the scales remain too loose with such sparse binding and overlap. But even with extensive shiki gane, the armor was still significantly weaker than hon kozane. To further strengthen it, armorers began wrapping each board in thin leather that was subsequently lacquered; which substantially increased the strength.
These armors were also a “standing” armor. Meaning, they did not collapse or flap around when not worn. This is due do each of the lames being bound together with hidden leather ties called tomegawa. Much more about this in other guides.
Note: a catch all term for this style of construction is nuinobe. However, you’ll often see this term used for armors that have a fake iyo zane appearance (a kiritsuke iyo zane nuinobe dou), but in general the term really should refer to the construction method instead of a style description.
Lastly, more about iyo zane without sugake odoshi will be written about in other sections. And, some armors pictured here are fake iyo zane made of built up urushi on top of solid metal lames.
Iyo zane construction can be found in just about any type of armor… dou maru/maru dou, haramaki, ni mai dou, go mai, go mai haramaki, etc
As usual, this an absolutely brief description of an extensive topic; read more at Sengoku Daimyo or Trevor Absolon’s book.
Kiritsuke Kozane
Kiritsuke kozane refers to armor plates or lames constructed with solid iron or leather that has a fake kozane appearance applied to the surface in order to simulate hon kozane or iyo zane construction. When this is done properly, it is nearly impossible to distinguish the simulated effect from the real thing.
This effect is achieved through patterns being cut on the top of each lame and clever use of the properties of urushi. A mixture of ki-urushi (raw), rice flour, and wood dust forms a moldable putting like material called kokuso that adheres to many surfaces, cures rock hard, and can be sanded and painted. It is used in many urushi crafts, such as kintsugi, and is the key element in creating the kiritsuke kozane appearance. Kokuso is built up and essentially sculpted shape by shape. This also the same method can be found all over different armor parts, such as being used to give kabutos a more “expensive” appearance by simulating more details, such as plates and ribs.
Note: sometimes you will see what looks to be armor constructed of one solid piece of iron, but it will actually be of a scale or multi-lame construction underneath a massive layer of kokuso and other urushi finishes. This will be discussed more in another section.
You will find kiritsuke kozane construction in all armor types.
Tsuzumi
Tsuzumi construction applies unlacquered leather to the outside of lames constructed out of leather or metal scales, and then that same leather binds the lames together in place of suspension lacing. The lames are further attached to the leather using hishinui crossknots that pass through both the lame and leather panel. Overall this type of construction largely fell out of favor by the early 15th due to the extensive effort to repair after damage and other more effective techniques becoming popular.
Due to the hon kozane/iyo zane construction these dou primairly appear as one piece haramaki and maru dou.
Uname Toji / Hosokawa
Uname Toji dou are a type of iyo zane armor. The iyozane are made of rawhide that are bound at their base and lacquered for added strength. The iyo zane are also rectangles and do not have any sort of decorative pattern on the top. These lames are them covered by another sheet of leather and further lacquered. However, the lacquer is not applied thick enough as to cover the natural pattern of leather being used. What makes this type of dou unique is the manner in which the iyo zane lames are fastened together. There is a running stitch, almost like a dotted line, that runs around the top edge of each lame. This leather strip passes through the two lames to bind them solidly together.
The hon iyo zane (true scale) construction method leads to these dou being primarily made as one piece haramaki and maru dou.
Tatami
The construction of tatami dou is relatively simple. Small plates of various shapes and sizes are connected to each other with chainmail, and is then everything is stitched down to a fabric backing.
Tatami dou are an incredibly misunderstood type of armor construction. The typical view is that these suits were worn by dispensable low rank ashigaru soldiers during the warring period. In reality, tatami armor was not used to any large degree before the 17th century, long after the Tokugawa shogunate consolidated power and the peaceful Edo period was underway.
According to Trevor Absolon “[…] in the famous Zōhyō Monogatari scrolls, commonly referred to as the ‘Tales of the Ashigaru’, that are believed to have been made around 1637–38. This amazing document records in minute detail numerous aspects of the duties, equipment, and lifestyle of an ashigaru of the early Edo period. And though there is ample evidence to support the existence of the many hundreds of other items that are shown being used by the ashigaru in the scroll, nowhere is an ashigaru ever depicted wearing a form of tatami-made cuirass.”
Mogami
Mogami dou are constructed from solid plates of lacquered raw hide or iron typically laced together vertically with sugake odoshi. The dou will always be made of 5 plate sections, which gives rise to the most defining characteristic; each lame in each section is individually hinged to its counterpart in the adjacent section. Some people say that any dou with lames laced in sugake odoshi can be classified with mogami, but I do not agree with that.
These will always be a go mai dou. Either closing under the right arm as a maru dou or in the back as a mogami haramaki.
Nio
A nio dou is any type of armor that has some form of impression of an emaciated monk created on the surface. This is usually done with a type of urushi lacquer putty called kokuso. It can also be done through rouposse metal work to scuplt the iron plates/
Nanban / Hatomune
A nanban dou is a foreign piece of armor that was used by the samurai, and was incredibly rare during the 16teh century.
A hatomune dou adds elements of foreign armor, usually European, into its design. Most commonly a hatomune will have a vertical ridge down the center of the chest.
Hotoke
From SengokuDaimyo.com:
“Cuirasses that are smooth and show no sign of lames are called hotoke dō. These are the Japanese version of the globose breastplates. The term Hotoke means “Buddha” and is a reference to the smooth, round bellies of Buddhist statuary. They are usually met with in clamshell form, but go-mai dō (five-plate cuirasses) are also common. The five-plate variations are often confused with yukinoshita or sendai dō, but the lack of a separate munaita usually (but not always) marks the hotoke dō. .”
Note 1: The kebiki laced lames at the top of the dou make this a Muna Tori dou.
Note 2: Despite it looking like solid plates, this dou is made of lames that have been lacquered over with tons of urushi to simulate a hotoke dou appearance.
Muna Tori / Hotoke Dou
Yokohagi Okegawa
The yokohagi okegawa dou is constructed from lacquered metal or raw hide lames that are riveted or laced horizontally to form a solid chest plate. Most commonly the plates will be riveted together, which could be ground flush as to be invisible or left raised as decoration (it would be called a byo dou then). Sometimes, lace cross knots (hishinui) would be used as over the top of the rivets to give the piece a more decorative façade (it would then be called a hishinui dou). This could also being expanded to sugake lacing being used with tomegawa or rivets; making it a solid dou that looks laced.
Though 2 section ni mai dou and 5 section go mai dou are most common. any sort of configuration (aside from a 1 section design) is realistically possible. Typically, a riveted horizontal 2 piece dou will just simply be refered to as an “okegawa dou”.
Tatehagi Okegawa
Much like the yokohagi okegawa, the tatehagi okegawa dou is constructed from lacquered metal or raw hide lames that are riveted or laced vertically to form a solid chest plate.
Due to the riveted lame construction these dou can be configured in any types that utilize hinges. Though 2 section ni mai dou and 5 section go mai dou are most common.