Socket (Fukuro) Yari from Showa22

[Brian]

Just curious...was it perhaps a member here that won this yari a few days ago from the seller mentioned?

 

Brian

[takakage]

Not me, fukuro sold for 1275$ a little expensive for a mumei blade.

[Gilles]

It was a very nice fukuro yari. I've tried to get it but the price was too high for me.

[Dewa501]

Hi all.

Anybody got a couple of pics of this fukuro yari, I seem to have missed it.

Thanks.

Chris.F.

[Brian]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... true&rt=nc

I really, really, really wanted this

Couldn't find a way to realize the funds anytime soon though, so had to leave it. Perhaps whoever won it will oneday trade it for something he wants more.

 

Brian

[Geraint]

Ah Brian, I feel your pain. My father once said to me that I had excellent taste but that it was a pity that I would be unlikely ever to have the means to support it. I can understand why you liked this one so much.

[Dewa501]

Hi Brian.

Thank you for the pictures of the Fukuro Yari, my computer is supposed to notify me re Yari, what a let down! I think the Yari is a fairly standard Chikuzen Nobukuni spear with Goma-hashi on one side but without the usual Bonji character on the other, plus the typical double mekugi-ana through the Fukuro, suprised that theres no signature, several of mine have been lacquered on the socket, one has traces of red lacquer with black over it and another is lacquered gold, both signed under it all. However, what an amazing price, ouch!!

A typically beautifully shaped and gracefull Fukuro Yari.

Thanks again.

Chris.F.

[Brian]

Chris,

You found that price to have been expensive or cheap?

Would love to see some pics of your fukuro yari. Have seen a few, but they seldom have nice lines and hamon like this one had.

I would love to own a fukuro yari or naginata oneday.

 

Brian

[Jamie]

This one looks good. I really like Jumonji yari as well. I haven't seen too many of them.

[Dewa501]

Hi Brian.

I suppose on reflection, and then realising the price was in dollers, I guess it wasn't so bad. I think my problam

is that all my Fukuro Yari have no poles. I have seven in all, and one Fukuro jumonji yari. Fukuro yari are fairly

scarce hear in the U.K. but I will say (am I aloud to ?) I have never payed more than £400 for one other than the Jumonji.

Most are Nobukuni spears, I have one signed Choshu no ju Morihide. I would be pleased to try to take a group

picture tomorrow if it would be of interest.

By the way, I thought the Ishizuki on that spear was awfull !!

Regards. Chris.F.

[Dewa501]

Hi all,

Brian, Hear are the Fukuro yari.

From L to R.

Nobukuni

Nobukuni

Choshu Morihide

Nobukuni

Nobukatsu. Nobukuni group Dated 1772.

Nobukuni

???

Jumonji. Unsigned.

Hope this is of interest

Regards. Chris.F.

[takakage]

A friend of me has got a small fukuro yari by a shin shinto swordsmith sukeshige. San saku blade.

[Gilles]

Dear Chris,

 

Congratulations. You have here a nice collection. I love those short yari.

[Brian]

Oh wow...awesome collection. I am jealous.

Chris, if you come across another one, condition not too important...please keep me in mind

Thanks for sharing.

 

Brian

[bmoore1322]

@ Chris

 

 

Yes, a beautiful collection you have there, thanks for sharing them with us.

 

Brian

[IanB]

A very nice blade but a shame about the pole. Note the ring attached for hanging a label. This was originally a long shaft that has been cut down - tragic.

Ian Bottomley

[Bugyotsuji]

Completely missed this thread at the time. What a lovely collection of fukuro yari. So that is where they all went! (Just sold mine to a member in the UK.)

 

Ian's 'shame' and 'tragic' comment above hard to read. So many yari have been cut down, and the latest round of cuts merely confirms the trend.

 

They must have started out as long as possible to keep horse riders at bay, and opposing footsoldiers with equally long poles. The longer the better. The times subsequently no longer demanded long spears and most that were to survive were put up on racks in the hall or kitchen or somewhere and smoked for a few centuries. Many must have been brought out of retirement in the fighting around the Bakumatsu, often chopped to handier lengths, for indoor use etc.

 

Nowadays dealers everywhere in Japan realize they cannot sell anything long. Problems with transportation, and display problems in those small rooms in modern habitations. Wives who make their dislike clear? The solution? Keep the fittings but cut down the haft. Or create a new decorative haft with new fittings. Or chuck the haft and go for shirasaya or head and saya alone.

 

I have two 'long' yari, but they are only 8 feet long, not really l.o.n.g... in the truest sense.

[Clive Sinclaire]

Gentlemen

I have always considered my short fukuro yari (signed on the socket Chikuzen Ju Nobukuni Kanetsugu) to be a "makura yari". It has a short intact red lacquered and ribbed pole, with the normal iron hirumaki at its end. Unfortunately the blade is not in such a good condition.

Regards

Clive Sinclaire

[Bugyotsuji]

Do you have a link to photos of it Clive? It sounds interesting.

[Brian]

Question....I always see the name Nobukuni associated with fukuro yari. I assume this was a factory, and not just one smith who specialized in these?

 

Brian

[Clive Sinclaire]

Brian

I have just rechecked my Fukuro-yari mei which actually reads MINAMOTO NOBUKUNI KANETSUGU who worked around the Kanbun era in Chikuzen. The standard theory is that the manufacture of Fukuro-yari was greatly encouraged by Kuroda Nagamasa who considered their poles to be easily replaced in battle should they break, which was not the case with normal yari that had nakago. This may have been especially true on his battles on the Korean penninsula but others disagreed believing them to be weaker than those yari with nakago. Kuroda Nagamasa employed the Nobukuni line of swordsmiths from Chikuzen province at this time and it seems that the majority of fukuro-yari continued to be made in the Fukuoka area.

I apologise if you are already in possesion of this knowledge.

Regards

Clive

PS I have no pics that I can find but it is illustrated in my unworthy book Samurai Swords a Collector's Guide

[Brian]

Thanks Clive, interesting info.

Seems like 80% of the signed ones I have seen have been Nobukuni, so makes sense.

I must post pics of one I have (mumei and black from lack of polish) that is unusual in having a very long kerakubi. Many thought it was a fake when it was on eBay, but I had a feeling, and it came with a very old piece of the pole broken off still in the socket, which I am leaving there. It also looks to me like most of the sockets were laquered. Anyone else notice this?

 

Brian