Dō (armour)

Dō (breastplate or cuirass) is one of the major components of Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and foot soldiers (ashigaru) of feudal Japan.

History

The predecessor of the samurai cuirass, or dō, was manufactured in Japan as early as the 4th century.tankō, worn by foot soldiers and keikō, worn by horsemen were both pre-samurai types of early Japanese cuirass constructed from iron plates connected by leather thongs.

During the Heian period (794 to 1185) the Japanese cuirass evolved into the more familiar style of armour worn by the samurai known as the dō. Japanese armour makers started to use hardened leather along with iron in their armour construction and lacquer was used to weather proof the armor parts. By the end of the Heian period the Japanese cuirass had arrived at the shape recognized as being distinctly samurai. Leather and or iron scales were used to construct samurai armours, with leather and eventually silk lace used to connect the individual scales (kozane) which these cuirasses were now being made from.