kote 篭手

Also written 小手. Formerly tamaki 手纏, taōi 臂覆. A gauntlet that protected the arms and hands. It was part of a soldier's armor from the Kofun period through the Edo period. Chain-mail and metal plates zaban 座盤, usually iron, were sewn onto a cloth sleeve ieji 家地. The kote extended from the shoulder to the *tekkō 手甲 protecting the back of the hand. It was worn with body armor such as the *ōyoroi 大鎧, dōmaruyoroi 胴丸鎧, or haramaki 腹巻. There were many varieties of kote named according to their shape and construction, for example the *ebigote 海老篭手 (shrimp-shaped gauntlet), tsutsugote 筒篭手 (pipe gauntlet), and kusarigote 鎖篭手 (chain gauntlet).