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The first of a two-part, exhaustively researched meditation on the astonishingly beautiful and intricate armour of the samurai. This volume focuses on the cuirass or dou, the armour that protected the warrior´s chest.

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For beauty, precision and strength, nothing has ever matched the combination of form and function found in the armour of the samurai. For a samurai, the consummate warrior, his suit of armour was so much more than ´just´ protective equipment that could save his life in the heat of battle - it was the embodiment of his personality, social status and very soul.

This volume, the first in a two-part series on the armour of the samurai, traces first the history of the samurai themselves and then examines the history and evolution of the cuirass or dou, the armour protecting the samurai´s chest. Drawing on over 20 years of research and technical work by Trevor Absolon, a leading expert, this is a complete study of this fundamental aspect of samurai armour construction. Illustrated throughout with photographs and diagrams, this is more than just a detailed technical exploration, it is a meditation on a process that was, and still is, nothing short of an art form.

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Foreword
1. Introduction
2. Dou - Cuirass: the foundation of Japanese armour
3. Ancient armour: Tanko, Keiko and Mencho, 3rd-9th centuries
4. Early forms of Samurai armour: O-yoroi, Dou-maru, Maru-dou, Hara-maki and Hara-ate. 10th-15th centuries
5. Pre-modern transitional period dou designs: Mogami-dou and Nuinobe Dou, 15th-16th centuries
6. Tosei Dou - modern cuirass Part I: Okegawa Yokohagi constructed cuirass and related styles, 16th century onward
7. Tosei Dou - modern cuirass Part II: Tatehagi Okegawa constructed cuirass and related dou styles, 16th century onward
8. Tosei Dou - modern cuirass part III: Okashi Gusoku and other alternative forms of cuirass, 16th century onward
9. Coming full circle - the revival of ancient armour styles, 17th-19th centuries
10. The Westernization of Japanese armour, 19th-21st centuries
Glossary

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Tervor Absolon moved to Japan in the early 1990s to pursue his interest in Japanese history. There he immersed himself in all aspects of traditional Japanese culture, including the study of kendo and kyudo, before becoming a participating member of the prestigious Soma-Noma-oi, or Wild Horse Chase. The oldest and last authentic samurai equestrian event still held in Japan, Trevor became the first and only non-Japanese national in 2007 to ever hold a formal rank and title in this Japanese Government designated Important Cultural Heritage Event, which dates back to the 10th century. Trevor began to aggressively study and collect samurai armour under the tutelage of the world´s pre-eminent Japanese armour expert, Dr Yoshihiko Sasama, the former President of the Japanese Armour Society. In 2001 he opened his own antique business in Japan, where he specialized in the sale of high-quality sets of authentic samurai armour and related items. Through his business and private collection Tre

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vor has had the unique hands-on opportunity to document and study tens of thousands of authentic items of samurai armour, which has helped to achieve an unrivalled understanding of these fascinating items.

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