Armor (<i>Yoroi</i>) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358)
Unknown Artist
early–mid-14th century
Medium
Iron, leather, lacquer, silk, copper, gold, pigments
Dimensions
H. as mounted 42 3/4 in. (108.59 cm); W. 24 1/4 in. (61.6 cm); Wt. 38 lb. 3 oz. (17.3 kg)
Classification
Armor for Man
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bashford Dean, 1914
Accession Number
14.100.121a–e
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the turbulent world of 14th-century Japan with this striking *yoroi* (samurai armor) attributed to Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), the powerful warlord who founded the Ashaga shogunate and helped usher in the Muromachi period. Crafted in the early to mid-1300s, this armor embodies the era's blend of warfare and imperial ambition, when samurai like Takauji navigated civil strife, overthrowing the Kamakura shogunate to control. At 42¾ inches tall and weighing over 38 pounds, it evokes the formidable presence of a mounted warrior on the battlefield. Masterfully constructed from iron plat...