This armor was donated to the museum by the Norwegian businessman Axel Heiberg in 1909. We do not know for sure from where Heiberg got it, but he was the Norwegian Swedish vice-consul and consular secretary in Shanghai in the years 1870–72.
Details about the samurai armors
This armor came to the Ethnographic Museum in 1873, with the brief arrival history “gifted by Consul H. J. Hammer, Lillesand”.
As of today, we only know the following about the provenance of this armor: "Gift [to the museum] from Mrs. Zernichow, 1908".
As of today, we only know the following about the provenance of this armor: "Gift from law student Rubenson (1908)”. It is not clear to us who this student was. This is a complete gusoku of very high quality.
This armor was purchased in 1873 by the Ethnographic Museum in Kristiania (today; the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo) from “Gulbranson of Montebello (also in Kristiania) for 25 Spesidaler”. We know nothing about Gulbranson of Montebello. About the currency: 1 Spesidaler was converted into 4 kroner in 1875, and at that time would have been approximately the same as 1 US dollar.
This armor was given to the museum in 1922 by the estate of wholesaler M. Enders, according to his will. The museum's main catalog of 1922 states: "The armor is said to have been brought to Norway by engineer Bruff circa 1880. Japan". We do not know where engineer Bruff obtained the armor.
This armor was a gift to Roald Amundsen when he visited Japan in 1927. He donated it to the Ethnographic Museum (now the Museum of Cultural History) the same year.
About the history of this armor, we only know the following: “donated by Shipowner Thoresen 1950”, written in 1950. Shipowner Thor Thoresen (1878–1951) was a member of the Norwegian Archaeological Society.
The suits of armor with numbers UEM40680, UEM40681, and UEM40682 were donated to the museum by Finn Koren in 1949. Koren was a so-called “envoy” at the Norwegian embassy in Tokyo during the period 1935–1940. In the foreign mission of Norway before 1940, the envoy was in practice Norway's ambassador. Koren stated that the three suits of armor originated from "Akashi, just south of Kobe", and were used by "a Daimyo and his people".
The suits of armor with numbers UEM40680, UEM40681, and UEM40682 were donated to the museum by Finn Koren in 1949. Koren was a so-called “envoy” at the Norwegian embassy in Tokyo during the period 1935–1940. In the foreign mission of Norway before 1940, the envoy was in practice Norway's ambassador. Koren stated that the three suits of armor originated from "Akashi, just south of Kobe", and were used by "a Daimyo and his people".
The suits of armor with numbers UEM40680, UEM40681, and UEM40682 were donated to the museum by Finn Koren in 1949. Koren was a so-called “envoy” at the Norwegian embassy in Tokyo during the period 1935–1940. In the foreign mission of Norway before 1940, the envoy was in practice Norway's ambassador. Koren stated that the three suits of armor originated from "Akashi, just south of Kobe", and were used by "a Daimyo and his people".
The Ethnographic Museum, now the Museum of Cultural History, received this armor "sent from the Museum of Decorative Arts in 1957.” This would be the Museum of Decorative Arts in Oslo. That is all we know about its provenance.
Japanese armor. Brought to Norway by Captain Amundsen in the early 1900s. Provided by Ulla Spansdahl on behalf of Morten Hallset.
The text in the museum's main catalogue, written in 1967, reads as follows: "Gift from Ing. Nils Schiøtts Vatnlia Gård, Brunkeberg, Telemark. The objects were collected by Ing. Schiøtt's uncle, Commander Nils Schiøtt, b. 1843, and are probably from around 1870".
Oliver Smith donated this armor to the Ethnographic Museum in 1884.
This is a complete suit for a boy, probably aged 8-10 years old. Only the most well to do families would present a son with such an armor. Oliver Smith donated this armor to the Ethnographic Museum in 1884.
This armor was purchased by the director of the Ethnographic Museum in Kristiania (now the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo), Ludvig Kristensen Daa, on a trip to England and Holland in 1864. The different elements of this armor have different types of aesthetic details, with variations in the color of the laces and in the brocade pattern. Few symbols or patterns are common. This indicates that the parts may have been assembled from what was originally many suits of armor.