Sode
Armour (dōmaru), 1580-1610
Iwai Yozaemon
Iron, gilt-copper alloy, copper alloy (shakudō), lacquer, silk, horsehair, deerskin
This samurai armour was the first diplomatic gift from Japan to Britain. It was sent to James I in 1613 with a document granting the British permission to trade with Japan. Silk lacing joins individual iron pieces to form a flexible and lightweight covering. An impressive and costly present, it is the work of Iwai Yozaemon, personal armourer to the ruling Tokugawa shōguns.
[The Queen's Gallery]
Taken in the exhibition
Japan: Courts and Culture
(April 2022 - February 2023)
The Royal Collection holds some of the most significant examples of Japanese art and design in the western world. For the first time, highlights from this outstanding collection are brought together to tell the story of 300 years of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchange between the British and Japanese royal and imperial families. The exhibition includes rare pieces of porcelain and lacquer, samurai armour, embroidered screens and diplomatic gifts from the reigns of James I to Queen Elizabeth II. Together, they offer a unique insight into the worlds of ritual, honour and artistry linking the courts and cultures of Britain and Japan.
[The Queen's Gallery]
Sode
Armour (dōmaru), 1580-1610
Iwai Yozaemon
Iron, gilt-copper alloy, copper alloy (shakudō), lacquer, silk, horsehair, deerskin
This samurai armour was the first diplomatic gift from Japan to Britain. It was sent to James I in 1613 with a document granting the British permission to trade with Japan. Silk lacing joins individual iron pieces to form a flexible and lightweight covering. An impressive and costly present, it is the work of Iwai Yozaemon, personal armourer to the ruling Tokugawa shōguns.
[The Queen's Gallery]
Taken in the exhibition
Japan: Courts and Culture
(April 2022 - February 2023)
The Royal Collection holds some of the most significant examples of Japanese art and design in the western world. For the first time, highlights from this outstanding collection are brought together to tell the story of 300 years of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchange between the British and Japanese royal and imperial families. The exhibition includes rare pieces of porcelain and lacquer, samurai armour, embroidered screens and diplomatic gifts from the reigns of James I to Queen Elizabeth II. Together, they offer a unique insight into the worlds of ritual, honour and artistry linking the courts and cultures of Britain and Japan.
[The Queen's Gallery]