Viper6924

Sounds like a very plausible theory, Eric! Cos with that long spike, the only thing you would "hold" on to was a fresh corps Jan

Hi Mariuszk! As a member of the swedish chapter of NBTHK, that would have been a treat for sure. But of course I understand that it's impossible to meet at this short notice. But having a girlfriend from Poland means I will be back soon. I will def send a PM to You in good time before my next visit. Jan

Hi Guys! I will be off to Poland next week. Will stay in Warsaw from thursday afternoon until sunday afternoon. Besides enjoying the local beer and tasty foods , is there any places of interest for the fan of Japanese culture? The Japanese museum in Krakow was very nice, when I was there last year. Any input on this would be great. Thanks! Jan

Thanks, Guy! Then it's confirmed. Trevlig sommar :D Jan

Hi guys! Have a pair of abumi in Kaga-style which has a mei. Would love to get the full translation of it. At least the first kanji is almost worn off. Any reply is as always highly appreciated!!! Jan

I love this story. The reason for the strange looking population of Heike-crabs in this area, is that the fishers thinks it means bad luck if they catch the crabs which have these face like shells. They throw them back and keep the ones without the "faces". Over the years the population with Heike-crabs with faces has grown strong. Bio-selection of a kind... Here´s a picture of a Heike-crab maedate that I use on a zunari kabuto. Jan

Had friend and his wife over for dinner. He brought with him a nasty looking tool. The pole it self been cut down to about 1,5 meter with a iron ishizuki at the end. I guess it´s some kind of Sasumata. But the spike in the middle seems to have a more deadly purpose than the ordinary sasumatas I´ve seen. I def wouldn´t like to be "arrested" with this one The small spikes on the pole is sharp as hell. Perhaps is for getting riders of their horses? That would explain the spike. Jan

Wow, Piers! Well done of finding the exact flower Mmm, wonder if there is any more info out there to be found? Perhaps we have to wait for some help from the Shimazu-clan... Thanks again, Piers! Jan

The meaning is perhaps " A heavenly flower that grows in the clouds" I haven't come across this mix before, thats for sure. Thanks for the "classification", Piers! Jan

Thanks, Uwe! Can always trust a Satsuma-man to step up and help :D Jan

Well, the armour box has now arrived to my house. So here´s a better picture of the mon. Haven´t even come close in any of my books to find a similar design. Jan

Well, I think You managed to answer all my questions, Ian. I´ve seen the "tick" You talk about. Very easy to miss sometimes. This also means that my maedate might be pre 1597 if I´m lucky. But I know that guessing the age on a maedate is like entering a minefield with a blindfold; it might blow up in Your face Thanks again, Ian! Jan

Ian, I have seen this mon on several banners and also on some jingasas and ashigaru armors. But I have also seen the old "cross" on many items from the later Edo-period. A bit confused What was the meaning in the beginning behind the cross in the circle mon that the Shimazu used? Jan

Could You show the difference between the "old" Shimazu-mon and the one they adopted later, Ian? I guess they must have changed it in the middle of the 17th century when the christian faith was banned by the shogunate. Jan

Nuff said!!! :D :D :D Jan

I agree with You, Ian. And how I would like to have that kabuto to which this maedate one time belonged. Or what do You say, Uwe :D Jan

Wow, Ian! Once more You deliver some really interesting facts. I also managed to dig out a picture with a woodprint of Shimazu Yoshihisa. He is wearing a maedate similar in fashion to mine with the mon raised up on some kid of floral motif. What do You make of the mark on the inside. Do You think that they could have made this piece in Nara or was it made more locally? Perhaps a hard question to answer Thanks again, Ian! Jan

Kickstarting an old thread I was reading one of my books last night and found an interesting piece of info. Apparently they have found marks on dif armor parts dating from as far back as the thirteenth century that they think refers to specific schools or makers. As I understand this was mostly made in kabutos but also found on other parts of the armor. There was two marks that are supposed to refer to armorers in the Nara region. One of the two is exactly the same as on this maedate. This mark stand for "ue". The other one looks like a capital T and stands for "tei". Perhaps nothing to do with the maedate in question but an interesting piece of fact. I also of course wonder if a Shimazu-clan maedate could have been made in Nara or if this would have been handled in Shimazu controlled territory. And the golden textile thread on this maedate is stil a bit of a mystery to me Jan

Spot on, Piers :D Jan

Here´s a picture of a hata-jirushi I found in a book. Have a similar look to it, but I guess from looking at other illustrations that this form of banner was a bit longer than the one hanging on my wall. A pretty interesting field of study, these Japanese flags/banners. Jan

Thanks for that useful info, Piers! Finding a matching banner is almost like finding a specific mon... a hard job Would be nice if it could be tied to the Ikeda-clan. Jan

Piers, that bucking horse reminds me of the horse insignia on the banners of the Soma-clan in Fukushima-han. And the crossed feathers is def the Asano clan crest. But I´m sure this plectrum has nothing to do with the samurai... :lol: Buuuut, talking about th samurai Here´s a flag that some how ended up in my hands. A bit ragged but at least it doesn´t stink the house up which my girlfriend appreciate. And it has a rather nice wooden "clip" holding it. It´s about 80x35 cm. To big for a sode-jirushi, I guess. What would the correct Japanese terminology for this be? Jan

Working with media I know the conflict between the writer and the publisher. Even if I in this case I don´t really understand why she interfered with Your work, Ian. But perhaps it´s time for a new project. Being such an authority on this subject, I know I would love an updated (new) book from Your hands. But I guess it involves a lot of hard work. Not only writing it but also fighting for the original text to remain in the final draft. Malcom, I´m waiting for the box to be shipped to me. When I have it in my hand I will publish more pictures of the mon. Tried to blow up the one I have. Thanks! Jan

Thanks, Ian! I thought it might mean front, but now I'm sure :-) Well, the world of kamon is truely large... On another note, I'm enjoying a really warm day in the garden. Todays choice of book: Arms & Armour... I'm pretty sure I know the writer Thanks again, Ian! Jan

Hi Guys! A very quick question about an armorbox. First there is a mon on the front. I haven´t been able to find which clan it belongs to. Also there is a kanji on the side. I see this and others like this one on many old boxes. Whats does it mean? Any help would be great! Thanks! Jan