The Norwegian Halvor Halvorsen went to sea at the age of 14 but escaped from a cruel captain and the ship he was assigned to. He took his new name, Oliver Smith, from a good captain, and after many years at sea got a job as a pilot in the Japanese city of Kobe in Hyōgo, where he also got married and had children. In the 1880s he donated 450 objects to the Ethnographic Museum in Kristiania (now the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo), including two suits of armor, which came to the museum in 1884.
This suit is complete and consists of the following parts:
Helmet, kabuto
The helmet bowl consists of 36 triangular plates, so called sujibachi. The plates are browned by a process known as sabi nuri. The plates meet at the top around a hole, tehen, and the hole is surmounted by a large five-tiered brass mount, known as a tehen kanamono. The front of the bowl has a large peak, covered in stenciled leather with a brass edge. Nailed to the peak with the middle of three chrysanthemum shaped nails is a brass holder for the helmet crest, known as the maedate.
The upper two plates turn up at the front to form deflectors, fukigaeshi. The upper one is covered in stenciled leather and has brass edgings, like the peak. It bears a heraldic device in gilt brass, a triangle in a hexagon. The outer part of the fukigaeshi has red and multi-colored braids on golden lacquered base.
At the back of the helmet bowl is a brass ring to hold a cord, agemaki.
Helmet crest, maedate: Large gilt dragon made of wood.
Neck guard, shikoro: The neck guard, shikoro, consists of four iron plates, the top three are black lacquered with lacing in different shades of blue, the lower one is gold lacquered with red, black, and multi-colored lacing.
The sabi nuri process involves applying layers of urushi lacquer mixed with iron filings or iron oxide powder onto a cleaned and prepared surface, curing each layer in a humid environment. This technique creates a textured, antique, rust-like finish.
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Mask, menpō
Of the type with fierce expression, ressei men, with detachable nose piece, russet lacquer, long mustache, neck guard of four plates, the lacing is like the one on the helmet. Red lacquer on the inside.
Cuirass, dō
Made of five plates, four of them hinged together, while there is an opening to be closed by cords on the right-hand side. This type of do is called sendai do. The plates are browned using the same technique, sabi nuri, as the helmet. The breast plate has a top section covered in stenciled leather with brass edging, then a narrow plate with three brass fittings, kanamono. These two plates are laced with pale blue braid. There are two brass rings on the breast plate, one for a commander’s baton, saihai, and one for a handkerchief. The breast also has two leaf shaped mounts, gyoyo, to cover the knots of the shoulder straps, these are covered in blue leather and a mon, a triangle inside a hexagon. The back plate has a large brass mount with a ring for the fastening of a silk cord, agemaki. The shoulder straps have small guards, ko-sode, of three lacquered iron plates, laced together.
Tassets, kusazuri: There are six lacquered leather tassets bound with braid in different shades of blue, on the lower golden plate two rows of red braid and one multi-colored. They are attached to the cuirass by horn buttons.
Shoulder guards, sode
Seven lacquered iron plates laced together with different shades of blue, red, and multi-coloured braids. The top part is in brass, decorated with brown leather on top and stencilled leather in front. Three brass fittings. A brass mount with a brass ring has a long, red silk chord with tassels. This was for tying together the shoulder guards so they would not flap during speed.
Arm guards, kote
Upper part with 3 x 5 browned iron plates linked together by chain mail, kusari, mounted on blue, green, and gold brocade. Three browned iron plates hinged together covers the lower arm. The hand cover is four browned iron plates with a brass and copper mon, the same as on the helmet.
Gloves
Long gloves in suede leather with embossed diamond pattern.
Skirt, haidate
Five rows of leather plates lacquered in brown on blue, green, and golden brocade. Stenciled leather details and purple ribbons for tying around the waist, cotton textile lining.
Shin guards, suneate
Four browned iron plates hinged together, mounted on brocade and golden leather, blue cotton textile lining.
Shoes
Heavy and robust shoes in lacquered leather. The shaft is in suede leather and has suede leather bands to tighten around the leg.
Shoulder strap protector, gyoyo
Covers to protect the upper fastening straps. These plates are leaf shaped, as they typically are, and gyoyo translates to apricot leaves.