Helmet in the Shape of an Eggplant
17th century
Medium
Iron, lacquer, copper, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), silk
Classification
Helmets
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number
36.25.164a–d
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of Edo-period Japan with the *Helmet in the Shape of Eggplant* by master armorer Saotome Ietada, crafted in the 17th. This extraordinary kabuto, or samurai helmet, transforms a humble vegetable into a striking symbol of ingenuity and status. Shaped like a bulbous eggplant, complete with a leafy stem finial, it exemplifies the playful creativity of Japanese arms and armor during a time of relative peace, when helmets evolved from battlefield necessities into elaborate fashion statements. Forged from iron and adorned with lacquer, copper, gold, and shakudō—a copper...