IanB

Keith, There is another aspect to these fakes. They do in fact fulfill the role of expanding the available supply of material for people to buy. Imagine that everything was genuine, the available material has then to be divided between those who wish to own it. Those with money can buy the best, as always, those with shallower pockets the less good items.Some or many of these buyers will do so because it is fashionable, quirky, for decor or simply to boost their image ( think of the 'I'm heavily into martial arts ... ' chat up line with regard to Nihon to). Thus the quantity available to those who really appreciate, love and study the material is limited. Now introduce a lot of fakes. Those who simply acquire for some of the reasons quoted, don't in general want to pay too much and in will tend to buy the fakes. As long as they don't know, they are quite happy and the objects are perfectly good enough to fulfill the purpose for which they are being bought. This takes the pressure of the real material and effectively increases the supply to the real lover of the genre. As an example, during the 19th century many aristocrats and wealthy landowners across Europe regretted flogging off their ancestral armour during the 'Age of enlightenment'. As a result firms such as Schmidt of Munich set up a large company to make and supply everything from armours, shields, staff weapons, tents and much besides. Some of the material was real, or partially so, but the bulk was made in-house. A typical example was an industrial magnate in the UK who acquired a 'Baronial Hall', a coat-of-arms and started buying armour and other evidence of his supposed ancestry. There is a delicious photo of his armoury that has a shelf running around the walls on which rested a long line of helms and helmets - every one (about 40 - 50) a total and obvious fake. The point is, he didn't know and probably didn't really care, they fulfilled the role he had bought them for. Ian Bottomley

JPH, Although this information will be of little use, I once did see (probably 20 - 25 years ago) a small tanto in which the blade showed exactly the same structure as what is known in the UK gun trade as 'Rose twist damascus'. I came to the conclusion at the time that it may have been made from a piece of gun barrel brought to Japan in the 19th century. Ian Bottomley

Eric, Ron, Piers, Further to the supposed 'cannon' / 'eprovettes'. The comparison that shows the come from the same hand has been stated clearly by Ron. I would add that the hawk flying near the very attenuated Fuji looks as if it has been copied from a book. However, I do like the way the barrel lug is fitted - very professional. Might I suggest someone has used a couple of sections cut from an old barrel and utilised these features. I would also point out that the brass breech band would normally lap onto the barrel rather than just encompass the stock. Interesting but not in my opinion real. Ian

All, I too saw the so-called 'riding-whip' and wondered about the practicalities of beating a horse with an iron bar. Not only that, but a whip in which the end had been rather crudely flattened into a spatulate shape that would have severely damaged the animal if it had been hit by the edge rather than the flat. Obviously someone is knocking these items out - both the whips and jitte having a distinctive family look about them. But, and this is where you surprise me gents, thus it has ever been. As soon as the value of the originals exceeds the cost of reproduction, along comes the fakers and the market is salted with the bad amongst the good. Think about all those ravishing Meiji period tanto with their writhing silver dragon koshirae and superlative lacquered scabbards. Total fakes made to make money when the artists had been thrown on the scrap-heap. Same with the armour makers in Meiji times. Do-maru, o-yoroi and haramaki by the hundreds, admittedly often incorporating old pieces, but 'every one from a daimyo household that had fallen on hard times esteemed foreign tourist'. It was no different in Europe during the 'gothic revival'. Ateliers like Spitzer's in Paris and many more in Germany churned out armours, wheel lock pistols and swords, every one of which 'had been discovered in remote Bohemian castle'. Best of the lot was Pratt in London whose supplier, Grimshaw' made hundreds of great helms, none of which are even remotely wearable, yet which fooled the 'experts' of the day. In the words of the old song - It's the same the whole world over ...' Ian Bottomley

Arnaud, The characters on the reverse of your blade's tang is a date. It has to be Taiei (1521 -1528) something ? bit I cannot make out the numerals which indicate which year within that period. Since the signature itself is simply the address and the name, it doesn't really give many clues as to which of the many Sukesadas might have made the blade. Ian Bottomley

Andrew, I can only repeat what Donald has said - Old Daimyo does get some interesting bits and his prices are not silly. However, just watch his descriptions - if he says Edo or Momoyama it will be. If he uses some term like it is 'age unknown but it is old' or 'little old' it will be either be brand new or at least fairly recent and a copy. A lot of what he sells will be the remains of armours that have had the helmet and mask sold off separately. The full armour he has at $1820 plus $530 for shipping looks to be all genuine but made up from disparate bits. The helmet has had the mon painted on to match the dou, the red lacing is modern and not well done and the sleeves, haidate and suneate are from different armours. Ian Bottomley

Piers, The notion that Pinto was one of the three Portuguese who landed in Tanegashima is now discredited (see Daenhard - The Perfect gun - I need to check this but I think it is correct. He dwells at length with who they were). Pinto did visit Japan in the very early years, but admitted that his writings were to entertain his family. He is thought to have been elsewhere at that date. Ian

Piers, The whole tale of the Portuguese and Tanegashima is more than a little odd. Unraveling who the Portuguese actually were and just what happened is shrouded in myth and legend. The Japanese list two of the Portuguese as Kirishitamota and Murashukusha, the first being identified with reasonable certainty as Christopher da Molta. Needham lists Yasuita Kinbei Kiyosada as the swordsmith tasked with making the guns and another retainer, Shinokawa Shoshiro who was ordered to learn how to make gunpowder from another member of the crew. Interestingly the problem of making the bisen isn't mentioned. As for swapping the glamorous daughter ..... Much of the confusion seems to lay at the door of Nampo Bunshi; a Buddhist monk who wrote of the affair in a book called ‘Teppo ki’. It would seem that this wasn't actually written until 50 years after the event and not published until 1649. Interestingly, Nikko own a small screen that belonged to Ieyasu that was painted by Kano Takanobu that shows a Chinese ship and three Portuguese unloading boxes and bales. Sadly no guns appear and the whole is very stylised, but it would seem to depict the actual event. Ian Bottomley

Thomas, I have had a preliminary look for the copy of Boots' article and failed to find it. This despite the fact that I cleared out my cess-pit of a study when I redecorated a few weeks ago. I was stashing things all over the house to empty the room and though I had reinstalled everything that I decided was worth keeping - but obviously not. I will have a look in my armour room upstairs tomorrow and in a couple of other places where it might be. Please bear with me. Ian

Thomas, I will have a search for Boots' article. I know I have it stashed away somewhere. Mine is only a copy but I will see what I can organise. Ian

Thomas, Thanks for the information. I have a copy of J L Boots article on Korean weapons and was struck by how many of the guns could just as well be Japanese. Ian

Guy number 3, with the slipped haidate, is wearing quite a respectable folding armour with a chochin kabuto. Wouldn't mind it myself. Reminds me of a visit to Japan where the guy I was travelling with bought a book of old photos from a Dutch collection that included similar posed shots to this. One was of a group holding spears and wearing armour stood outside in a street. One guy in the shot was wearing his katana edge down through his obi which caused my companion and I much amusement. The Japanese we were with gave us the most piteous look and commented that because he was a spearman, it was the correct way to wear the sword (and didn't say so but suggested by his look that even toddlers in Japan knew that). He explanation was that worn the normal way, the tsuka was in the way when thrusting with the yari at waist level. Makes sense but I don't really know if he was correct. Ian Bottomley

All, What I found most interesting in the photo posted by Thomas is that the guns have every appearance of being Japanese. Ian Bottomley

Mr. Sinclair, Yes, that seems to be leather from the same source. Until now I have never been able to pin down anything about my armour since it is completely unsigned and the fukigayeshi of the helmet have been broken off. What is clear however is that despite being a relatively simple okegawa do, the quality is excellent - being moderately heavy, suggesting good thick plates, and with the lacquering like Rolls Royce paintwork. Obviously a simple no-frills armour for a middle - ranking bushi, but a thoroughly workman like product. Ian

Mr. Sinclair, It has just occurred to me that if you do view the sale in Sidney, could you have a look inside the do by Takeyasu? My armour has the interior finished in bright red leather glued directly to the inside of the plates rather than just being fastened around the edges as was more usual. It would also be interesting to see if Takeyasu has used ko sakura gawa on the edge of the helmet lining and on the haidate that is stenciled with a very dull blue/green background and with larger flowers than normal. The jury is still out on just how the armour market was organised. Obviously top names ran extensive workshops that could, and did, create the whole of an armour. It is the lower end of the trade that is less well understood. We know that armourers could 'buy in' minor elements such as masks and kote from specialist suppliers. It also seems clear that there was a considerable trade in re-cycled elements that were reconditioned and incorporated into new armours. Did armourers like Takeyasu make the major portions like do and helmets and then sell them to others who lacquered and finished them? If the Australian one is like mine it would suggest that they were finished in his own workshop. This could be an interesting opportunity to learn more. Ian

Mr. Sinclair, My scanner / printer isn't working at the moment but there is a picture of my armour in my book 'The Arms and Armour of the Samurai' on page 111. I did not get any sode with my armour, and of course the kote and haidate are different but that would be reasonable - many armourers only making the major elements and the using minor parts bought in from specialists. Mine is definitely a slightly cheaper assembly judging by the kote, which are not very high quality, and sewn onto plain dark blue hemp. I have subsequently found a pair of sugake laced sode for my armour. They were gold lacquered and rather distressed and needed relacing so I have done them in pale blue to match my armour. I found it very difficult to imitate the faded blue of the armour but the end result looks reasonably well. Ian

Ron, No, Mea Culpa was about right since I didn't use the term Apostles but I did believe that the term had some historic usage. It was one of those so-called 'truths' that you absorb from reading but don't actually question. Very wrong of me. Ian

Ron, You are quite correct about the use of the term 'Apostles'. Mea Culpa. I have just looked in David Blackmore's book on the Arms and Armour of the Civil War where he quotes from contracts for the New Model Army: The boxes of the said Bandoliers to bee of wood with whole bottoms, to bee turned wth in and not Bord, the Heads to bee of Wood, and to be layed in oyle Three times over, and to bee coloured blew wth blew and white strings with strong thred twist, and wth good belts, and twenty pence a piece. So here they are called 'boxes'. He also states that many boxes had lead covers or tops. These have been found in quantity at sites like Sandal Castle, Marston Moor and other battle sites, but they are not apparently referred to in documents. Some other boxes were of tin-plate. The Earl of Orrery in 'A Treatise of the Art of War' London, 1677 is adamant that cartridges are preferable to bandoliers. These being of paper with a charge of powder and a ball. The boxes should be of tin (plate) as used by the cavalry. A contract dated 1645 / 6 does detail '1200 cartridges the boxes of strong plate covered wth black leather'. Ian Bottomley

George, The kamon is that used by the Maeda family of Kaga province. Ian Bottomley

Mr Sinclair, I promised to tell you the details of the auction in Australia. It is the Owston Collection being sold by Bonhams on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th June 2010. It would appear to be being held in the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sidney. The armour by the same maker as mine is a Minamoto Yoshikazu working around 1850. Mine differs slightly in having a standard Nara mask and in having the momonari helmet lacquered gold rather than black. The armours in the sale (some modern) are lots 767,768,769,770,862,863,864,865,931,932,933 1nd 934. Ian Bottomley

Two members of the Northern ToKen Society did return a tanto to the family of a marine. Sadly he had died a year or two before the return. His family were however grateful that their father's sword had come home. Having said that, I take your point Clive. I have only had discussions with one Japanese who not only told me that he had taken part in the conflict, in Manchuria. He recounted the terrible events suffered by both the local population and the ordinary Japanese soldiers who died in dozens from the lack of medcines, cold and dysentery. A harrowing time that we who have not experienced such things can hardly imagine. Ian Bottomley

Brian, Will Adams' original letters are in the Public Records Office. I borrowed his first one for the Shogun Exhibition I did a few years ago. All his surviving letters are published more or less verbatim (including his rather erratic rendering of Japanese) in 'More Queer Things About Japan' by Sladen & Lorimer. Ian Bottomley

Sorry Mr. Sinclair - read your name wrongly. Ian

Hitori San, Ha, there you have me. I saw the catalogue for only a few moments and then had to dash off to do something else. I have asked for a photocopy of the armour like mine for my records. All I can say is that it was a big fine-art sale with just four Japanese armours in and a lot of paintings, furniture and things like that. One armour was a modern reproduction, one had two different sode and the other was in multicolour lacing that I thing included white and orange. The armour like mine is laced in pale blue and has an okegawa-do and momonari helmet. I will not be going into work again until the 9th June but will give full details when I get it. Ian

Piers, Yes, definitely fukigayeshi. If you look at the inside edge of each there is no turned rim on the lower portion. That part would originally have been the right-angled bend where the fukigayeshi turns out from the top lame of the shikoro. On the inside shot you can just make out the broken edge. As you say, one has been bust off in the past and repaired by being riveted back by means of a small angled patch. So, the three dots are a kamon. When armours were being sold off in the early Meiji period, it was common to either deface the kamon or when that couldn't be done, snap off the fukigayeshi because of the shame of having to sell one's armour. I have a very nice armour with a gold lacquered momonari kabuto which has been treated this way. Interestingly, just on Friday I saw a catalogue from an Australian sale in which was its twin. Even better the Australian armour is signed and dated so I now know who made mine. Ian B