Menpo
Encyclopedia
A is one of several types of facial armour (mengu) worn by the samurai
class in feudal Japan. Other types of mengu include the somen, hanpo or hanpo, and happuri.
. The chin cord (Shinobi-no-o) of the kabuto would be tied under the chin of the menpō. There were also small hooks (ori-kugi) or posts (odome) on the menpō to help secure the kabuto's chin cord. Menpō may be constructed from iron or leather (nerigawa) or a combination of both. They may have a lacquer
ed or rusted type of finish and can include a variety of facial details, such as moustache
s, fierce teeth and colors.
Most menpō had a small hole (ase nagashi no ana) underneath the chin for drainage.
The menpō is similar to masks worn by armored cavalry and infantry in ancient Chinese armies from the Han Dynasty
to the Song Dynasty
.
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
class in feudal Japan. Other types of mengu include the somen, hanpo or hanpo, and happuri.
Description
The menpō was facial armor (men yoroi or mengu) which covered the face from the nose down to the chin and also provided a way to secure the top heavy samurai helmet or kabutoKabuto
A kabuto is a helmet used with traditional Japanese armour as worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan....
. The chin cord (Shinobi-no-o) of the kabuto would be tied under the chin of the menpō. There were also small hooks (ori-kugi) or posts (odome) on the menpō to help secure the kabuto's chin cord. Menpō may be constructed from iron or leather (nerigawa) or a combination of both. They may have a lacquer
Lacquer
In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
ed or rusted type of finish and can include a variety of facial details, such as moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
s, fierce teeth and colors.
Most menpō had a small hole (ase nagashi no ana) underneath the chin for drainage.
The menpō is similar to masks worn by armored cavalry and infantry in ancient Chinese armies from the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
to the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
.