Armour (dōmaru)

This samurai armour was the first diplomatic gift from Japan to Britain. It was sent to James I in 1613 with a document granting the British permission to trade with Japan. Silk lacing joins individual iron pieces to form a flexible and lightweight covering. An impressive and costly present, it is the work of Iwai Yozaemon, personal armourer to the ruling Tokugawa shōguns.