Gyōyo (apricot leaf) shaped horse bit

Gyōyo (apricot leaf) shaped horse bit​

Prefecturally Designated Important Cultural Property (designated 2000)
Made: Kamakura period (late 12th -early 14th C.)
Location: Toyohara Kitashima Shrine, Kitashima, Oku 
Dimensions: 13.5×52.5cm. 

This copper horse bit, used to fix a horse's reins in its mouth, has a distinct sense of weight to it and is decorated with two apricot leaf-shaped accents. It is estimated to have been made during the Kamakura period (late 12th -early 14th C.). 
Both this horse bit, as well as a full suit of armour (kacchū) with multicoloured lacing, are said to have been dedicated to Toyohara Kitajima Shrine by Sasaki Moritsuna, a late 12th century warlord in the service of the Minamoto clan. It was also featured in the "Shūko Jisshu", a compendium of historical masterpieces published in the 19th century.

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Cultural properties in Setouchi city​