Japanese Samurai's hat ?

[David]

Originally Posted by colin henshaw

Here are some close-ups of the hat. It seems to me to be original, as far as I can tell - there are a few small signs of wear to the lacquer, the red cotton pad underneath is worn through in one bit, next to the hat, and exposes a cotton-wool type material. The two "straps" seem to be white cotton over straw or grass of some sort...

When i speak of "wear" i don't necessarily mean damage that might come from handling or storing an item.
I would think that oils from hair and skin would discolor or stain parts of the head cushion if this hat did indeed receive any prolonged wearing. I don't see evidence of that in your photos. I still think this might have been a repro, albeit a nice one, perhaps made to compliment an exhibit on Japanese weaponry or armor.