Menpō — Samurai Face Masks

Japanese armor is the only major armoring tradition that made a face. Not a visor, not a grille — a face, with an expression, chosen by the man who wore it.

The menpō protected the lower face and gave the helmet cords something to bind against, but its real function was psychological. A drawn mouth, bared teeth, a moustache of horsehair, a nose that could be removed and swapped: this was a warrior deciding what he wanted to look like to the person in front of him.

Our masks are shaped, lacquered inside and out, and fitted with removable nosepieces and a throat guard (yodare-kake) where the form calls for one. The interior is traditionally finished in red lacquer — historically to flatter the wearer's complexion, and today because it still looks better than anything else.

Forms available include ressei (fierce), ryūbu (calm and dignified), ōkina (the old man), and the partial hanbō covering chin and jaw only.

A mask changes a suit more than any other single component. If you own armor that feels somehow unfinished, this is usually the reason.