Helmet (Kawari Kabuto) with Conch shell (Horagai) shape

This piece was made of iron, lacquer, leather and silk. It is composed of five plates that create the form of a conch shell. The gold lacquer means that the helmet belonged to a high ranking samurai. During the Edo Period or also known as the Tokugawa period, there was an emphasis on peace, political stability and economic growth under the Shogunate (military dictatorship). This time of peace represented a showcase of apparel worn by samurai soldiers, not meant to have practical functions, but to symbolize wealth, social status, and family background.