The iron dragon is finely constructed of numerous hammered plates joined inside the body, the fully articulated model with a mouth that opens to reveal its tongue and with moveable limbs and claws, the body bends, the head is applied with elaborate horns, spines and whiskers, the details are carved and chiselled and the eyes embellished with gilt, the signature incised to the lower jaw, with fitted woodbox with an inscription tetsu-sei hiryu no okimono (an iron figure of flying dragon) and Myochin Nobumasa saku (made by Myochin Nobumasa), Edo Period, 18th-19th century. Accompanied by a certificate issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword), dated 2nd October, 1949.

Note: Japanese armour is constructed with flexibility as a basic principle, by joining together numerous small curved iron plates in rows, which allows freedom of movement.