Hitaiate of Samurai Armor
額当 Forehead Protector or Hitaiate
What is Hitaiate of Samurai Armor
This is a piece of armor used to protect the forehead. It is also called ""Forehead Metal"" (Hitaigane), ""Forehead Iron"" (Hitaigane), and ""Bowl Metal"" (Hachigane), which omits the back half of the helmet (Kabuto). It is believed to have become popular in the late Muromachi period, along with the cheek guard (Hoate) that protects the forehead and both cheeks. It was used by soldiers who did not wear helmets, mainly lower-ranking samurai. There is a hole in the back, and it was worn like a headband by threading a cord through it. In addition, the forehead protector (Hitaiate) that was often used in the late Edo period is mainly a piece of armor that protects the forehead and head. It is called ""Folding Forehead Protector"" (Tatami Hitaiate), which is a simple armor made by processing 1 to 3 iron plates into a head shape. It is believed to have originated from the ""Half Neck"" (Hatsuburi) that appeared in the Nanboku-cho period and protects the forehead and both cheeks.
See more terms related to samurai armor in this samurai armor glossary