IanB

John, I did once have a dou that had been 'let out' to accommodate a growing waist. It was done by adding a plate to each side of the opening. I deeply regret that at the time, during the 1970's, I decided it was so ugly I removed them. This cannot be the reason here because it would have involved taking the dou apart structurally, adding whatever they are and then re-lacquering and relacing. It would have been just as easy to add a few more scales to each row. Uwe, Overnight I have been pondering this problem and realised I had not paid attention to your comment about the width of the lines. You are quite right, the two lines are narrower than the apparent width of the iron scales. However, do not forget that the iron scales would alternate with scales made of neri gawa which is why there is no apparent overlap on the X-ray. In reality you have to visualise a leather scale between each iron scale giving a spacing you would actually see about the width of a row of holes. Ian B

Uwe, The black lines indicate that whatever the lines are, they are they are not absorbing the X-rays. Since the scales throughout the rest of the dou are the same density as the kanmuri no ita, and that is riveted and hence metal, the scales must be iron ones. Since there is no metal where the black lines are, and it is a kebiki dou, the only other material that I can think they might be are neri gawa scales. Since the kanmuri no ita is not hinged or divided in any way, the dou is not designed to flex or bend in the region of these lines to put it on. Why then have the gaps in the iron scales - HELP This is an intriguing constructional detail that only X-rays, or a lot of work with a magnet, could reveal. Ian Bottomley

Mark, We did a few X-ray photographs of armour at the Royal Armouries and like this image they were informative. One on a sode from the Muromachi period, showed that all the kozane were leather except in the top row that had iron scales at each end where the kanmuri ita was fastened to the scales. Obviously it was felt necessary to re-inforce the top row of scales at these points. This image is equally interesting and informative. It is presumably an Edo period armour, or at least one that has been used in the Edo period, since it has both gattari and a ring for an agemaki. It learly shows the upper solid plate has been reused. Note the ring of holes provided in the top plate around the large holes for the takahimo. These were intended for fastening leather watagami but they are now unused. The present metal watagami are simply riveted to it in a straight line at the top. You can also see that an extra strip has been added to the bottom edge of this plate to allow it to be laced to the kozane. It therefore must have come off a dou made of plates since it was originally riveted to the previous dou. The two black lines running down on either side of the centre-line show that there are leather scales at these places in each row that are not absorbing the X-rays. Why they put leather scales at these points isn't clear to me unless it was to give some flexibility - but why would you need flexibility there? Yet again this shows how pieces of earlier armours were recycled and how valuable iron was in the past. Ian Bottomley

I have one of these sets. The nice thing about it is the fact that the sockets for the bow sections are silver on the outside and shakudo on the inner face. I have never had the bottle to string the bow. As I understand it the target was a piece of silk stretched on a frame and the arrows were inked to leave a dot where they struck. Ian Bottomley

Uwe, You most certainly can, but since it is a Christmas present I must wait to play with it, make a proper stand that fits it and do a few minor repairs like replacing internal ties. So, like me, you will have to be patient - but think of the excitement of Christmas morning Ian

Mark, I have tried to obtain a representative image, but the colour of the upper layer still appears as black as the background colour. It is only when you wet it in a strong light it looks reddish in colour. I fear I am going to have problems cleaning this armour and will have to be content with its present appearance. Ian

Mark, I will certainly have a go although I suspect my camera might struggle a bit. Leave it with me. Ian

The Japanese body is wearing what is known as a keiko, a lamellar armour that arrived in Japan with later waves of invaders from the Asian mainland who also brought horses. The video shows a reconstruction of one but without the shoulder and neck defence. This type of armour superseded earlier armours called tanko that were of larger plates designed for use on foot. These had a solid dou of rather hour-glass shape with a bell-like skirt reaching to the knees, very similar to the foot combat tonlet armours of 15th century Europe. It is interesting that the thread also contains reference to the Roman bodies from Herculaneum since they used lamellar armour as well. Ian Bottomley

Mark, No, I do like it but feel that it would have looked even better if it had been matted rather more. At the moment it is rather too shiny to look convincing. In Liverpool Museum is a daisho with the scabbards lacquered to look like pine bark. They are so convincing you feel they must have used a layer of real bark glued to the saya. They have even managed to simulate the way pine bark lifts off in patches leaving a scar of a slightly lighter shade. The guy who did it must have spent hours studying a pine and matching the colours and textures. Ian B

Mark, That is the oddest lacquer job on an armour I think I have seen. I will post a picture of the finish on mine in due course. Ian Bottomley

Uwe, The claim that the Unkai were an off-shoot of the Myochin was of course a claim made by the Myochin themselves, being perpetuated by later writers. Much of what they wrote is to say the least inventive. Their apparent predominance in the writings of early European authors being attributable perhaps to the fact that they were prolific with their signatures and their genealogy a convenient reference . I have for years believed that their incursion into armour making proper didn't really begin until the early Edo period, although they may have made the components for armour earlier. I once listed all the Myochin smiths, supposedly working prior to 1600, mentioned in Katchushi Meikan and apart from the obvious Nobuie and Yoshimichi (who never signed Myochin and almost certainly was nothing to do with them), found only one of these smith's work illustrated - and that was a helmet that looked late Edo to me. No, it was the Haruta who were invited to Kanazawa by the Maeda and it was they who recruited Unkai Mitsunao. I have a note somewhere that he was the grandson of a Korean armourer brought over by Hideyoshi and that it was he who was the innovator of the Unkai style. On his death the group continued to produce armours with Unkai features, but you do see a gradual shift towards the more orthodox as time progressed. Eric, I agree with you about the description. Are the cataloguers showing how erudite they are? Ian Bottomley

Charles, Don't worry we have all gone through this. What seems to have caused you confusion is that each kanji can have two or more ways of reading it: the Japanese way and the Chinese way (they were after all borrowed from China and the way they were sounded by the Chinese came with them). Which way you pronounce them is the problem. Most swordsmiths used the Japanese sound, but many tsuba makers and other artists chose the Chinese sounds. Ian Bottomley

Uwe, I too thought it might be Kaga work. The lavish use of sawari on the plates and the inome at the corners of the embossed plates are both typical of the kind of thing they did. In Orikasa's publication 'Studies on Arms and Armour' he shows that the Myochin family's move into Kaga was quite late and had nothing to do with the Unkai who were Haruta. The first was a Myochin Muneyoshi who established himself in Kanazawa during the Kansei period (1789 - 1801). His pupil, Munetoshi, became official armourer in 1805, dying in 1837. The post was then taken by Muneyoshi in 1838. During this time there were also a Muneharu and a Munehisa working there. Other Myochin families also worked in the area. Another pupil of Muneyoshi was Munehide who died in 1851 followed by Munetaka, Munenobu, Munenaga and Munemitsu. A Munenao, a nephew of Munehide was appointed to the Bugu Dozo ashigaru unit becoming the inspector in 1851. Orikasa also lists the stipends of some of these showing they were on the Han's payroll. Muneyoshi, being an official armourer, recieved rice to support 7 people, others such as Munehisa only sufficient for 2 people. It is also interesting that there was a separate unit making armour for the ashigaru, one assumes because the 'official armourers' were making armour for the Maeda and more senior members of the Han. Unfortunately no stipend for these ashigaru workers is given. My latest armour is definitely Kaga work and I'm sure is Bakamatsu period. It needs some minor sorting out after which I will post some pictures. Unfortunately, since it is a Christmas present (from me to me and by far the best kind - who the heck needs socks?) I cannot start work on it until after the festivities. Mark, Whilst writing this you posted. Your query about 'tree bark' lacquer could not be more appropriate. My present for Crimble has a strange textured lacquer that appears black but when I rubbed a section with a wet finger in strong light I saw the raised trails of lacquer on the basic dull black background were a brownish red. Whether this colour will show when cleaned I do not know - I will be able to tell when I try various cleaning methods. Eric, That is one heck of an armour. I particularly like the 'undershirt' with the kote attached. I suspect the mail flaps should really go under the yurugi ito rather than on top. Ian Bottomley

Uwe, I'm afraid I cannot contribute much. We can all speculate as to why these armours were made and come up with all manner of reasons. Here are a few thoughts: The common black lacquered ones made of simple plates joined by mail and sewn onto hemp may have been a variety of common soldier's armour. They would have had the advantages that large numbers of them could be stored flat and they would fit almost anyone. There was one in the William A. Galeno collection, of hexagonal plates, red lacquered and with the characteristic maedate used by the Ii family. It had what I am sure was its original box about 3/4 the size of a normal gusoku bitsu. This was a relatively good quality armour and certainly not made for a common soldier. Similarly, that last one you illustrate with the russet embossed plates has taken a great deal of time and effort to produce and must have been a costly production. I am slowly coming around to the idea that perhaps the main reason for their adoption by the higher ranks was rather banal. Perhaps it was because they were easy to store and far more comfortable to wear than a normal armour. Incidentally, I recently acquired an armour with same type of lacquered leather covered takahimo as your armour. Unfortunately, some destructive little insects had worked their magic and all that remained were the hollow outer coverings that fragmented when touched. I have preserved a section with the armour but sadly have had to replace them. Ian Bottomley

Charles, The secret to reading inscriptions is to learn a few key kanji that point to different items within it. That kanji bottom right on your tsuba will always be preceded by the maker's address. Obviously you still have to work out what the address is, but at least you know what you are looking for. Ian Bottomley

As I understand it rasha, although originally a Portuguese word, is the woollen cloth that formed the staple import of the English factory and later the Dutch. Reading the diaries of both Saris and Cocks reveals that their attempts to sell these woollen cloths to the Japanese was a dismal failure, being somewhat undermined by the fact that the English merchants insisted on wearing silk clothing. Saris, on his first landing in Japan, on Hirado, gave Matsura Hoin a lavish gift of textiles, including a very large piece of black woollen cloth and items like calico from India. Hidden in his list of 'a peece of' this and a 'peece of ' that, was a 'a peece, double locked' which had be baffled until I realised it was a double barrelled gun. After realising that Hoin was not the KIng of Japan, he gave Tokugawa Ieyasu a similar selection of textiles and curiously a long bow made by the ship's carpenter whilst at sea which was valued at nothing. The Japanese found a limited use for these fabrics, making items like jinbaori, harnesses and so forth. Its use for a fire cape makes sense because it does not catch fire as such, just blackening and smouldering. I have one of these female fire hoods, in black and red, decorated with origami cranes. Their purpose was to give some protection to the face and the hair of the wearer as they escaped the building in the event of a fire.

Eric, You are absolutely right - the kusari katabira has 8 in 1 mail which must be a first. Yet again it is proof, if any were needed, never to say never with Japanese armour. They were a really innovative lot those Japanese armourers, perfectly willing to give everything a go. It is interesting how it has been used down the outside of the arms, that part most likely to receive a heavy blow. The nearest the Europeans came to this was to use 4 in 1 but to greatly enlarge the flattened area so that it filled the gaps so to speak. There was also a Tudor period peascod jerkin in the Peter Parson collection that used metal discs with a small hole in the centre linked by regular riveted links. This produced a very dense structure but as far as I know was unique. It is possible that there have been other experimental mails in the past, but its tendency to rust and decay means we only have a tiny survival to base our judgements on. Ian Bottomley

Brandon, Yes. I cannot remember the date but I seem to think it may have been in the 1980's. Ian

Piers, The Tokugawa kamon are in fact hon zogan in copper gilt and stand some 1/16th of an inch or more above the surface of the barrel. They are not in the best condition, having taken a bit of a bashing. Ian

Piers, You are right, the plate is a restoration, but not done by the Museum but by the gun's previous owner. In the plastic bag attached to the gun are the parts to make up a pan cover. I know the gun was taken in a police amnesty and it has been kept in the same condition as when received. You could argue the replacement bits should be chucked away, it is just that nobody has bothered. Richard Holmes by the way used to be on the Board of Trustees of the Museum hence the use of the gun in his publication. I don't have that book and didn't know it had been published before. Ian

Guy, Orikasa in his publication 'Studies on Arms and Armour' lists many of the stirrup makers of Kaga gleaned from documents in the library at Kanazawa. Two families regularly used names starting with Uji ... The first is the Katsugi Kikumasa family who started during the tenure of Maeda Toshinaga (1562 - 1614), moving to Komatsu following the third Lord Maeda Toshitsune (1594 - 1658). The group ceased making zogan work at the end the 18th century. The second family were the Katsugi Saburo family who started up, presumably as a branch line, after the 5th master of the previous family. This group continued until the Meiji period. Unfortunately no Ujikatsu is listed for either group. This isn't surprising since little work other than this has been done. Ian Bottomley

Ron, Absolutely no trouble at all. It is important that the world knows what is about. I have always thought this could be an important gun what with the Tokugawa kamon and all. It is just tragic it has been so abused. Ian

All, In another thread on guns, the subject turned to those with a name and I mentioned there was one in the Royal Armouries' collection. Last night when I was there for another reason I took the opportunity to dig it out of stores and take a couple of rather hurried photographs. The poor old thing has been through the wars a bit, having lost its lock, trigger, pan cover and the thick brass strip that runs under the hand-grip behind the trigger. Non of these would be insurmountable to replace, but I'm afraid that now it is in the collection this will not happen: restoration being something that would be against the ethics of modern museums. You will see the magnificent Tokugawa kamon in copper gilt scattered on the barrel and the name in silver nonome. I translated this as 'whirlpool' or 'abyss' but I could be wrong. Ian Bottomley

Guy, I agree, I do not think your cranes are a kamon and may have been applied just as decoration. I suspect they were added later. It was very common for the owners of armour to remove their kamon when they sold them during the early Meiji period. One trick was simply to break off the fukigayeshi - I have a fine momonari kabuto that has been given this treatment. Another very fine helmet I can picture in my mind but cannot for the life in me remember where I saw it, has small circular menuki of the type you get on tanto tsuka substituted for the original kamon. Ian Bottomley

Clive, I suspect we will both blush with shame about appearing in this. I was persuaded to talk some rubbish for a programme and ended up getting nothing for an afternoon of my time, not to mention driving the film team backwards and forwards to the station, other than a rather ordinary lunch. Despite my telling them repeatedly that I was totally disinterested in the whole affair, I have little doubt we will be depicted as if we have spent half of our lives researching the whereabouts for this missing 'treasure'. Ian Bottomley