Samurai Armor (Naoe Kanetsugu)

This model is a replica of the armor worn by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the preeminent daimyo, warrior, general, samurai, and politician of the Sengoku period and is regarded as Japan's second "great unifier”.

This model is an example of some of the most magnificent and iconic armor from ancient China. It was worn by the Dahan General, a group of some 1,500 guardians that belonged to the army of the secret service of the Ming Dynasty. Their task was to protect the emperor and the dynasty.

The plate armor used for this model is associated with the knights of the European Late Middle Ages. By about 1400 AD, the full harness of plate armor had been developed which allowed heavy cavalry to dominate the battlefield for more than a century.

During the late Middle Ages as armored protection for knights became more effective, their mounts became targets. Barding was developed in response to this vulnerability, The armor consisted mainly of plate armor and hardened leather.