骨牌金 Karutagane

What is Karuta gane of Samurai Armor?

This is a rectangular iron plate, approximately 7cm in length and 4cm in width. It was named after the imported playing cards (Karuta) from the Azuchi-Momoyama period, as it resembled the shape of these cards. It was used in various parts of the armor, including the chest armor (Do), Shikoro (neck guard), and Haidate (thigh guard).

This is a Karutagane dou:

See more terms related to samurai armor in this samurai armor glossary

Samurai armor parts explained

Samurai armor history and types