Japanese Tate-eri ''Pillow''

By Crusader1307

The Dou was the traditional (and primary) piece of protective armor for the torso of The Samuari. However, these pieces were heavy and often uncomfortable to wear. Designers developed The Tate-eri Pillow. Although The Dou was often padded (with leather or layers of silk), The pressure points around the wearers neck and upper shoulders often suffered the most. Quite simply a small crescent-shaped quilted padding (roughly 1 foot in width), it was first placed on the neck and shoulder of the wearer. The Dou was then placed over this. Simple and effective, The Tate-eri Pillow was used up to the end of “Combat Armor” in Japan (1880s).