Wotizit...?

[Brian]

Just something unusual I stumbled across on a Friday morning. Just to prove that swordmiths played around just as much as any other craftsman.

http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2012/1210_4006syousai.htm

 

Brian

[Ken-Hawaii]

What the heck is that, Brian?? Looks like a cross between a short yari & a fish gutting knife!

 

Ken

[Geraint]

Fukuro yari for the end of a yumi?

[Brian]

Looking at the "koshirae" it was obviously intended to be dropped or thrown. Proof that they had airplanes in late Edo period?

Maybe an early version of lawn darts :lol:

 

Brian

 

Edit to add: Well done Geraint..I think you may have it!

[NihontoEurope]

Brian,

 

It is ammunition for a stepping weapon.

 

Crossbow or likewise.

 

/Martin

[leo]

Brian, the guy who had the (modern) koshirae made, probably had no real idea either, so he decided to make some rocketlike device. Anything used as a missile would rather require a circular socket. The construction is too expensive for a dart and unbalanced too.

As Geraint said, it is most likely an auxiliary weapon for a yumi or another device.

 

Regards, Martin

[Geraint]

Knew I'd seen it somewhere: Stone's Glossary, Fig. 872. Called, unsurprisingly, yumi yari. Another illustration in R & P Knutsen, "Japanese Spears" Fig. 30 i which is probably the same one. This one shouldered so that the loop of the bow string could still fit over it and function, presumably the tension of the string kept the yari in place.

[ROKUJURO]

I don't believe this to be a YUMI YARI. There is no possibility to hook the loop in, and the long extension shows a hole, but nobody wants a screw or nail in his bow! I remember having seen a picture of a YUMI YARI which was quite small, so as not to reduce the performance of the bow.

 

There is an old photo in my 'Japan department' showing my KYUDO teacher KAWASHIMA SENSEI in a fight demonstration with a 'palanquin arrow'. I am sorry not to know the technical term for it but it looked quite similar - a short but stout arrow, used for defense in limited spaces like palanquins. One could stabb with these arms but also throw them.

 

Maybe the item is something of that kind.

[Geraint]

Jean, Kago yari always seem to be very conventional, small head and small koshirae. You are right, the one Brian found does not have a shoulder for the bowstring, the one in Stone does. As to the mekugi ana, well, the one illustrated in Knutsen does have one as well, perhaps these were added later to secure the yari into a more conventional mount. Also worth bearing in mind that the one that started the topic is described as Shinshinto and some pretty peculiar things were going on then as regards weapons and armour. Likely we will never know on this one unless someone out there has the definitive answer.........?

[Curran]

Trauma surgeon point of view:

It goes in, and it doesn't come out.

 

Rather large for that in a human sense, when smaller arrowhead can be nearly as traumatic in this regard.

Necessary to expand the wound to withdraw it. Or push it through.

 

Yet rather too high quality for the needs of a whale harpoon or dolphin hunting. Could this be used for larger game of some sort?

Wild boar? (Yum-)

Presume some sort of strong line through the ana, tied to a secure point such as a tree or whatnot/

[Geraint]

Inoshishi no yari = wild boar spear. Hefty, leaf shaped blade. Had one once, think it is in France now. It was mounted on a distressingly short shaft which appeared to be unshortened. Frightened me.

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

Seems to be an Uchi-ne

[Brian]

Hope the seller doesn't mind..uploading the pics for future reference.

 

Brian

[christianmalterre]

Looks like an Uchine

'Uchine' were never used as a mainstream weapon, so examples are quite rare to find

(Quote Mr. Robert Winter)

 

Christian

[Geraint]

Certainly mounted as an uchine now, but the seller is quite clear that the koshirae is modern. All the uchine I have seen have very conventional yari blades or normal fukuro yari. Have a look at the shape of the shaft in the bottom two pictures where it has been shaped to fit the socket.