''Tatami'' (畳具足), or ''tatami gusoku'' (from 畳む ''tatamu'', "to fold", and ''gusoku'', "full suit of armour"), was a type of lightweight portable folding Japanese armour worn during the feudal era of Japan by the

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

class and their foot soldiers ( ashigaru). The ''Tatami dō'' (a foldable cuirass) or the ''tatami katabira'' (an armoured jacket) were the main components of a full suit of tatami armour.

Structure

A '' tatami gusoku'' (complete suit of folding armor) includes a ''tatami dō'' or '' tatami katabira'' (jacket) and a ''tatami kabuto'' (helmet) '' chochin kabuto'', or '' tatami zukin'' (hood) or similar type of head protection along with the other related parts of a full suit of Japanese armour. Collapsible head protection such as '' hachi gane'' and other collapsible armor are also ''tatami'' armor; a traditional kabuto could also be part of a tatami gusoku. Tatami armour was lightweight, portable, convenient for transportation, and they were manufactured inexpensively for the ashigaru light infantry. Tatami armours were worn by all samurai classes from the highest class to the lowest class. The higher class samurai wore elaborate armour while the lower class samurai and retainers wore simpler versions. In his book ''Arms and Armor of the Samurai: The History of Weaponry in Ancient Japan'' Ian Bottomley shows a ''karuta tatami do'' and a ''karuta tatami kabuto'' (p. 88), and discusses different types of ''tatami dō'' ''karuta gane dō'' and ''kikko gane dō'' on p. 91. George Cameron Stone shows a ''kikko tatami'' armor on p. 606 of his book '' A glossary of the construction, decoration, and use of arms and armor''.

Types of Tatami armour

Karuta tatami armour

Karuta are Culture of Japan, Japanese playing cards. Playing cards were introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders during the mid-16th century. These early decks were used for trick-taking games. The earliest indigenous ''karuta'' was invented in the ...

are small lacquered square or rectangular iron (sometimes leather) plates usually connected together by chainmail and sewn to a cloth backing. File:Tatami gusoku.JPG, Edo period samurai folding suit of armor ''tatami gusoku'' completely matched set with ''karuta tatami dō'' and ''chochin kabuto'' File:Karuta tatami dou and zukin.JPG, Karuta tatami dō and karuta zukin (hood) File:Hara-ate karuta tatami dou.JPG, Edo period samurai ''karuta tatami dō'' in the ''hara-ate'' style File:Antique Japanese karuta katabira 1.JPG, Karuta katabira

Kikko tatami armour

* Kikko are small iron or leather hexagon plates usually connected together by kusari or chainmail, and sewn to a cloth backing. File:Tetsu kikko tatami dou.jpg, Edo period ''tetsu kikko tatami dō''. A lightweight portable folding tatami cuirass, made from small metal hexagonal plates (''kikko''), sewn to a cloth backing. File:Kikko tatami dou.JPG, Edo period ''kikko tatami dō''. A cuirass with small hexagon armor plates ''kikko''. The ''kikko'' are connected to each other by chainmail and sewn to a cloth backing. File:Kikko tatami dou 2.JPG, Edo period ''kikko tatami dō'', shown folded up File:Nerigawa kikko katabira.jpg, Kikko katabira

Kusari tatami armour

* Kusari is mail or chain armour, normally sewn to a cloth or leather backing. File:Kusari dou.jpg, ''Kusari tatami dō'', a cuirass made from chain armour shown next to a traditional iron cuirass File:Kusari gusoku 11.JPG, Kusari tatami gusoku, a suit of chain armour File:Kusari gusoku 5.JPG, Kusari tatami gusoku, a suit of chain armour

References

External links

Samurai Arms and ArmorAnthony Bryant's online Japanese armour manual
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tatami-Do Japanese clothing Samurai armour