Samurai Armor (Gusoku) / Mizuhiki Hand-knotted Art / Black

Product Description

Product Story

General Product Information

This armor is made of Mizuhiki craftsmanship by Tsuda Mizuhiki Origata, a long-established company that is the birthplace of the traditional Japanese craft, Kaga Mizuhiki. It is made of black Mizuhiki material and features a beautiful shape. It makes extensive use of heavy black parts, giving it a strong visual presence.In addition, it comes with a removable sword so that it can be displayed as an interior decoration.

Product History

When did these crafts start to craft?：100 years ago / 1900AD / Taisho period in Japan

About a century ago, Sōkichi Tsuda pioneered new decorative knots made from mizuhiki paper cords—shapes such as cranes, turtles, and pine-bamboo-plum—that spread throughout Japan. The inspiration for these designs came when he conceived of a three-dimensional way of folding and wrapping Japanese paper.

Mizuhiki itself is Japan’s traditional form of wrapping: to wrap a gift in Japanese paper, to tie it with paper cords, and to write the reason for the gift. These three elements form the foundation of mizuhiki.

Traditionally, the washi used for gift wrapping was folded flat. Tsuda, however, invented a soft, three-dimensional wrapping method and adorned it with artistic mizuhiki knots.

In this way, mizuhiki wrapping was elevated into an art form and later became established as the traditional craft known as Kaga Mizuhiki. Now passed down to the fifth generation, it continues to evolve with the times—expanding beyond solemn ceremonial designs to include art pieces and even mizuhiki-based accessory brands.

Craftsman Story

Craftsman Profile

Tsuda Mizuhiki
Kaga Mizuhiki was created in the Taisho era by Sōkichi Tsuda, who transformed simple paper cords into an art form. For five generations, the Tsuda Mizuhiki Studio has carried on his legacy, preserving tradition while exploring new expressions.

Craftsman Passion

"Elevating tradition into art."
Today, their work goes beyond ceremonial uses, expanding into art pieces and modern accessories. With a balance of heritage and innovation, Tsuda Mizuhiki continues to share the beauty of this craft with the world.

 

Your Contribution to Craftsman

Customer Voice

Due to the market structure (link for full articles are attached bottom), craftsman have not known who the customer is and how customer reacts to their work. We made a “Message to Craftsman” box at purchase page. We will deliver all message to every craftsman. Our review will be also shared to craftsman so please leave your comment and evaluation on review section!

Income for Craftsman: Craftsman get only less than 10% of selling price?

As written above, craftsman have not controlled last phase of sales channel that resulting in selling price is set by third-party without craftsman’s recognition. There are some cases that only less than 10% of selling price is given to craftsman. We promise with our customer / craftsman that we offer the fair trade with craftsmen in our contract!

We made an article about above problem and our challenge. Please have a read from below link.
Current state of the Crafts Market / Benefits brought by Suigenkyo

Measurement

Width：13cm
Depth：13cm
Height：24cm
Weight：850g

Material & Caution

Materials

Paper

 

Caution

Individual Difference

Each piece is handmade, so there are individual differences even in the same series. We hope that you will understand the change by handmade.

Delivery Date

If this item is out of stock, please allow approximately 1 to 2 months for shipment.