Tetsu Kuro Urushi Nuri Niho Jiro So Fukurin Akoda Nari Suji Kabuto
>>Please Inquire For Price
Including shipping, insurance and appraisal
Age: Muromachi Period
Remarks: This very fine Kabuto with a matching bitsu belonged to a Daimyo of the Hosokawa Clan. Beautiful pierced kamon trimmed in fukurin trim highlight this piece. Purchased from a private collection in Japan.
History: The Hosokawa clan claimed descendance from the Seiwa Genji and ironically played key roles in both the establishment of theAskikaga Shogunate and its destruction. They wielded significant power over the course of the Muromachi (1336-1467) (The period of this Kabuto), Sengoku (1467-1600), and Edo periods, moving, however, from Shikoku, to Kinai, and then to Kyushu over the centuries. The clan was also one of three families to dominate the post of Kanrei (Shogun's deputy), under the Ashikaga shogunate. At the beginning of the Ashikaga's rule, the Hosokawa were given control of the entirety of Shikoku. A conflict between Hosokawa Katsumoto, the fifth Kanrei, and his father-in-law Yamana Sozen, over the shogunate's succession, sparked the Onin War, which led to the fall of the shogunate and a period of 150 years of chaos and war, known as Sengoku. Following the fall of the Ashikaga shogunate, which was based in Kyoto, control of the city, and thus obstensibly the country, fell into the hands of the Hosokawa clan (who held the post of Kyoto Kanrei - Shogun's deputy in Kyoto) for a few generations.
Katsumoto's son, Hosokawa Masamoto, held power in this way at the end of the 15th century, but was assassinated in 1507. After his death, the clan became divided and was weakened by internecine fighting. What power they still had, however, was centered in and around Kyoto. This gave them the leverage to consolidate their power to some extent, and came to be strong rivals with the Ouchi family, both politically, and in terms of dominating trade with China. The Hosokawa remained in Kyoto for roughly one hundred years, fleeing the city when it was attacked by Oda Nobunaga. The Hosokawa sided with Ishida Mitsunari during the decisive Sekigahara Cmpaign, and thus were made Tozama (outsider) daimyo under the Tokugawa Shogunate. They were given Higo Province, with an income of 540,000 Koku, as their Han (fief). Though their domain was far from the capital, on Kyushu, they were among the wealthiest of the daimyo. By 1750, Higo was one of the top producers of rice, and was in fact counted as a standard by the Osaka Rice Brokers. The domain suffered from serious economic decline after that, as most domains did, but Hosokawa Shigekata instituted a number of reforms which turned the situation around.
Inquiries: It is our goal at Shogun Art to provide the finest in rare antique Samurai Armor. We are privileged to serve many collectors, museums and dealers from around the world. If you have an inquiry regarding a specific item please contact us,
If you are looking for specific items please let us know as we may already have just what you are looking for. If we don't currently have an item we can certainly locate it for you. No exclusive Samurai Armor source anywhere in the world can provide you with a better selection of high quality items. Locating the very best Samurai Armor items is what we do every day.
Thank you for taking the time to visit us at Shogun Art. We look forward to hearing from you.
