06-05-2009, 04:58 PM
I recently got my hands on an Edo period Japanese armor. The thigh armor (heidate) seems to be lacquered paper, and trimed in doeskin. It is old, and of robust and functional construction.
From another forum where I posted a question about this armor I learned of a festival in Japan where paper armor is constructed and worn: http://www.usagijuku.com/indexstart-head.html (Lots of cool pics, but not in English.) Contrast this with Halloween where we dress up as dead people and figures of horror. If we had a parade where we celebrated a cultural heritage and dressed children up in armor and gave them paper weapons, some group or another would throw a fit and we would never hear the end of it. Oh well...
An English link on construction: http://www.usagijuku.com/indexenglish.html This paper armor seems very accurate in appearance and design.
Ralph I.
From another forum where I posted a question about this armor I learned of a festival in Japan where paper armor is constructed and worn: http://www.usagijuku.com/indexstart-head.html (Lots of cool pics, but not in English.) Contrast this with Halloween where we dress up as dead people and figures of horror. If we had a parade where we celebrated a cultural heritage and dressed children up in armor and gave them paper weapons, some group or another would throw a fit and we would never hear the end of it. Oh well...
An English link on construction: http://www.usagijuku.com/indexenglish.html This paper armor seems very accurate in appearance and design.
Ralph I.