Paper short abstract:

This paper addresses the development of the distinctive style of the Nagasone school of armour making during the early Edo period. A detailed comparison of signed pieces will be conduct, the formal aesthetic and technical features examined and evaluated, their characteristic elements determined.

Paper long abstract:

As a part of my dissertation project with the preliminary title ":Formation of the Nagasone School: Influences, inventions and development of a distinctive style of armour makers", this paper addresses the development of the distinctive style of the Nagasone school, a Japanese armour making group active during the late 16th and 17th century.

Originally a family of ironsmiths, the Nagasone members became armourers in Echizen province at a time, when the demand of arms and armour reached the peak during the final years of the Age of Warring States, known as sengoku jidai (c. 1467 - c. 1600). With the start of the peaceful period of the Tokugawa regime at the beginning of the 17th century, changes in armour can be dedicated as they were worn only infrequently. Armour smiths moved to the new capital Edo and dedicated their work in the production of flamboyant pieces, using decorative and elaborate techniques of armour making.

The Nagasone have so far received little attention within the research field, thus this paper focuses on their features as armour smiths. On the basis of concrete examples, a detailed comparison of signed armour pieces will be conduct and the formal aesthetic and technical features will be examined and evaluated. As a result, significant influences of other armour schools and regions, as well as the usage of characteristic techniques and stylistic elements of each Nagasone armour smith will be determined.

This approach aims to point out the contribution of a group of armourers in the development of Japanese armour from their eminently practical use to a status symbol, displaying outstanding craftsmanship and artistry.