Samurai Clan Crested Handbag

A pair of Japanese Samurai hats beautifully transformed into a magnificent Handbag.  The handles are made from Japanese Bamboo root, held onto the bag by antique  Japanese Textile strung onto multiple pieces of Damascene (Gold Bidri work). The  handles at either end has been decorated with Gold Gilded Silver edges with a gold  tassel elegantly drooping on one side of the handle. The inside of the bag has been  done in purple silk lining while the Bag stands atop four Gold Gilded on Sterling  Silver stands. The bag has been emblemed with the mark of the clan, to which  Samurai belonged.

These Samurai Hats started to become popular through the late Edo Era.  Traditionally a defensive helmet, they were allegedly first crafted from wood,  leather, then iron and later steel. They progressively began getting better as the  Samurais grew in popularity on the battlefield. Always conical in shape, the purpose  of the Jingasa (Hat) is to deflect the blows of weapons, deflecting out and away from  the Ashigaru (Warrior) wearing it. The Hats were traditionally lacquered in black and  would typically bear the mon of their clans (mark or crest) or that of their unit. This  helped soldiers to be easily identified from a distance. These mon were often  painted in gold color, just like the Hat in this design. The Bidri art form is a kind of  damascene work known as "koftagiri" - a system of ornamentation consisting of  encrusting gold or silver on iron objects. In 'Bidri' or 'Bidari', the metals silver, gold or  brass are overlaid or inlaid in the designs to decorate objects made out of an alloy of  zinc and copper. After sourcing the Samurai Hats, this Bag took 3 months with over  11 craftsmen and designers involved in various stages.

Dimension: 42(H) x 40.8(L) x 11.30(W) cms..

Handle length: 43.50 cms.  

Net Weight: 1.85 Kgs.