Kikkō
Under Kikkō ( Japanese 亀 甲 , dt. "Turtle shell") one understands plates made of iron or hard leather, which, similar to a scale armor , were used as part of the armor of the samurai and the ashigaru in feudal Japan.
construction
Kikkō are small, hexagonal plates, which are based on the shape of the plates of a turtle shell and were therefore named accordingly. Individual Kikkō were sewn to the fabric lining of the armor by means of holes drilled in the edge or the middle or, alternatively, the plates were connected to one another like a chain mail through the holes. This resulted in either the outer layer of the armor or the Kikkō were hidden between two layers of textile and thus served as a hidden protection against attacks. The resulting Kikkō armor was used in every class of samurai and foot soldiers.
In the West, this type of armor was described by George Cameron Stone , among others . Stone spoke in his 1934 work of "scale armor" made of "small hexagons", which were often used in Japan, which were made of "steel or hard leather" and "occasionally covered the entire body".
use
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Traditional Japanese armor, including Sune-Ate (shin armor ) and Tate-Eri (shoulder plates ), were often reinforced with kikkō . The Haidate (skirt to protect thighs) and Kote (armor for arms and hands) were partially or completely covered with the plates. From Kikko could lightweight, foldable armor ( Kikko tatami gusoku ) are built, even a foldable breastplate ( Kikko tatami dō had), furthermore other types of armor were like Waki-Biki and Manjiyuwa with Kikko be equipped. The helmets of the samurai ( Kabuto ) often had a neck protector ( shikoro ) made of Kikkō , which were sewn onto a fabric background .
In the book Arms and armor of the samurai: the history of weaponry in ancient Japan by Ian Bottomley from 1994, a forehead protection ( hitai are ) with a hood from Kikkō is described. There is also the kikkōganedō , the foldable breastplate made from the aforementioned plates.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kazuko Mende, Reiko Morishige: Sashiko: blue and white quilt art of Japan . Ed .: Shufunotomo. 1991, ISBN 0-87040-828-3 , pp. 22, 30 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
- ^ George Cameron Stone, A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: Together with Some Closely Related Subjects. Ed .: Southwork Press, Portland, Maine, 1934 - reprinted by Dover Publications, Mineola. New York 1999, ISBN 0-486-40726-8 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
- ^ Ian Bottomley, Anthony Hopson: Arms and Armor of the Samurai. The History of Weaponry in Ancient Japan. Ed .: Crescent Books . New York 1994, ISBN 0-517-10318-4 , pp. 88, 91 .
