Before buying a menpo, or japanese samurai mask, it is probably better to know some basic concepts. With the term "menpo" we generally indicate the face protection of the japanese samurai armor. A menpo is generally made of iron, but it is not uncommon to find menpo made in nerikawa, a treated leather which remains solid and light in weight. This face protection for the samurai armor was introduced to the samurai equipment during the 14th century.
A menpo looks actually like a real mask; it has three main functions: it protected the face, it allowed to fix the kabuto and it held a protection for the throat called tare or yodare-kake. Under the chin there are often one or more draining holes for the sweat.
The three main tipologies of menpo differ from the portion of face they cover:
Samurai mask are today famous for their fierce expressions and their moustaches. the goal was not only to protect the warrior but also to impress those who were looking at the samurai. Excluding the hanbo, which would not normally be shaped with human expressions, menpo were often designed after the masks of the Japanese No theatre, very much popular among daimyo and samurai during the sengoku jidai. Toyotomi Hideyoshi himself was a valid actor who used to perform frequently for his samurai troops. Shapes and designs are hence of many kinds. The most popular being the foloowing:
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