Overview
A jinbaori is a short, open, usually sleeveless coat put on over a suit of armor. Practical against wind and rain, it was above all a display piece, and surviving examples use imported wool, velvet, and gold to striking effect.
How it is worn
It was slipped over the armor and left open or fastened at the chest, its back panel offering a large field for a commander’s crest or a bold device. Generals used dramatic shapes and colors to be recognized amid battle and to project authority.
History
The jinbaori flourished in the Sengoku and Azuchi–Momoyama periods, when contact with European traders brought wool and new dyes into elite dress. In the peace of the Edo period it lost its battlefield use and became a formal and ceremonial garment for the samurai class.