Yoroi chakuyo zusetsu [Illustrated Manual showing the Procedure of Wearing Armour].

Ise Sadatake (1717-1784) was a historian with a particular focus on the correct behaviour of the samurai class. The present work was circulated exclusively in manuscript prior to the dissolution of the feudal system in 1869. The text and illustrations explain in detail the consecutive stages of putting on a suit of armour. This complex procedure involved five layers of dress each of which had to be securely tied. The present manual consists of two parts, the ‘Yoroi chakuyo zu’ and the ‘Yoshiie Ason yoroi chakuyo zu’. The reference to the famous Minamoto Yoshiie of the Heian period in the title of the second part was a device to connect to the earlier roots of the samurai tradition. While the Edo period was generally speaking a time of peace, all samurai were obliged to train in swordsmanship and martial arts. According to the colophon the present item was copied by Otagaki Shin (?) in 1796, but this is possibly a later copy.