兜             後正中に「柳河住鬼塚吉國」と鐫る。初代吉國は新刀期を代表する刀工であり、兜の鍛造例は寡聞にして初見。刀匠鐔ならぬ刀匠兜と云うべきであろうが、鍛刀の余材を使い、刀匠の余技によって生まれたとされる刀匠鐔と違い、掲出は甲冑師作と遜色ないように看取させる。

                 鉢金は鍛え良い鉄板を錆地とし、十八枚を一行五点で鋲留めする。姿形は底面を卵形とし、前後を打ち膨らませた阿古陀形としている。天辺周囲の装飾は特徴的であり、まず素銅地黒漆塗とした剣形篠垂を各間に一条ずつ、鉢の中程まで垂らして剣先で鋲留する。その上から八幡座を戴いており、素銅地桜花を底として小刻三段、鍍金筒金物を重ね、抱花は筒金物を覆うのみで固定されない。笠印付鐶も八幡座と同様、桜花を座金とする。前正中腰巻際には一本角本を具え、他の各間に丸鋲を飾り打つ。眉庇は当世形、絵韋を鍍金小桜鋲九点で留め、縄目覆輪を廻らし、鍍金座星鋲で留めるが、絵韋の文様は視認できない。𩊱は鉄板札五段を四段目まで黒漆素文、肩摺板を眉庇と同じ絵韋で包み、素懸に威す。𩊱も漆、絵韋の損傷著しく、威替される。吹返しは着脱可能な二層構造で、𩊱一段目を小さく捻り返した黒漆素文の吹返に、眉庇と同工の撫角形金物を被せている。練韋箔押の据紋は「変わり抱杏葉紋」の一種で、両辺に桜花を添えている。当紋の仔細は未詳ながら、杏葉紋を用いた大名に豊後大友家とその家臣らが知られる。

面頬        鉄黒漆塗烈勢頬。皺などの起伏は総じて抑えめに打出し、糟毛髭を植え、歯金具を箔押とし、頬に障子板を具える。耳には六曜を透かし、顎先に丸い汗抜孔を穿つ。裏面は朱漆塗。垂は𩊱に通底するが同様に損傷著しく威替される。

Helmet (Kabuto) and Menpō Signed by Oniizuka Yoshikuni of Yanagawa

The rear center of the bowl is inscribed “Yanagawa-jū Oniizuka Yoshikuni.” The first-generation Yoshikuni is recognized as a master swordsmith of the Shintō period, and examples of helmets forged by him are exceedingly rare. While swordsmiths occasionally produced tsuba from surplus forging material, this helmet stands apart: it is executed to a standard fully comparable with the work of professional armorers.

• Bowl (hachi): Constructed of finely forged iron plates with a rusted surface finish, secured by rows of rivets (eighteen plates, five rivets per row). The form is akoda-nari (melon-shaped), with an oval base and swelling front and rear. Around the crown, distinctive decorations include sword-shaped shino-dare of copper with black lacquer, each riveted at mid-bowl, surmounted by an elaborate hachiman-za: a copper cherry-blossom base supporting three tiers of gilt fittings, capped with a detachable blossom ornament. The front center bears a single horn fitting, with round rivets adorning the other intervals.
• Visor (mabizashi): Of contemporary style, covered with patterned leather (e-gawa) secured by nine gilt cherry-blossom rivets, edged with rope-patterned fukurin, and fastened with gilt star-shaped rivets. The leather pattern is now indistinct.
• Neck guard (shikoro): Composed of five iron plates, lacquered black up to the fourth tier. The shoulder guard is wrapped in the same leather as the visor, laced in sugake style. Both lacquer and leather show heavy damage, with later re-lacing.
• Fukigaeshi (turnbacks): Detachable, two-layer construction: the first tier in black lacquer plain style, overlaid with gilt corner fittings matching the visor. Applied leather decoration bears a rare variant of the kawari daki-gyōyō crest, flanked by cherry blossoms. Though the precise lineage is uncertain, the gyōyō crest is historically associated with the Ōtomo clan of Bungo and its retainers.
• Menpō (facial armor): Iron mask with black lacquer finish (ressei-menpō). The facial modeling is restrained, fitted with bristle moustache, gilt teeth, and side flanges (shōji-ita). The ears are pierced with six-circle motifs, and a round sweat-drain hole is cut at the chin. The interior is lacquered red. The throat guard (tare) matches the helmet’s shikoro, but is similarly damaged and re-laced.