Japanese Works of Art - 20th May 2026
Lot 697
AN IMPRESSIVE JAPANESE SEASHELL HELMET (KABUTO)
Estimate £8,000 - £10,000 | Hammer £10160
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Description
AN IMPRESSIVE JAPANESE EMBOSSED TURBAN SHELL HELMET (SAZAI NARI KABUTO)
EDO PERIOD, 18TH CENTURY
The hachi made from a single piece of iron formed as the upper part of a turban shell with a structure of concentric whorls rising to an apex and bearing a succession of integral nodes (spikes) with concave terminals, the axial ribs represented by incuse lines, lacquered iron shikoro of five tiers with black odoshi, small fukigaeshi displaying a cherry blossom kamon, fabric lining, 32 cm.
Another seashell-shaped kabuto is in the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection at the Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, access. no.2014.89.1.
By the 18th century, uchidashi kabuto (embossed helmets) like this one had become a symbol of prestige and ceremonial rank during the peaceful Edo period. This example, crafted in the shape of a shell, illustrates the continued obsession with bold, sculptural headgear among the samurai elite. The seashell form represents both secular and spiritual power. Historically, generals sounded the conch to marshal their forces, yet it also served as a sacred symbol of the Buddha’s voice and the dissemination of divine law.