Helmet signed by Bamen Tomotsugu, Japan, 18th century. After Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory at Sekigahara in 1600 unified Japan, peace reduced the demand for armor. By the late 17th century, only high-ranking samurai and daimyō could commission new suits. This example was made by Tomotsugu, the last great master of the Bamen School, renowned for helmet bowls of multiple iron plates and fine craftsmanship. The cuirass follows the byō-toji okegawa-dō style, with ornamental rivets. Crests of three whirling commas (tomoe), linked to the Okabe family of Kishiwada, adorn the armor. Unusually, the skirt’s lacings shift in color around the torso—white, red, yellow-green, black—rather than grading vertically, with matching red and white accents on the helmet and guards.