Storage

[md02geist]

how did samurai store their armor both at home and on the move? I assume ceremonial stands at home and in wooden trunks when moving (and not actively in combat)?

[SteveM]

Yoroi Bitsu 

http://www.xn--u9j370humdba539qcybpym.jp/archives/4760

 

Sometimes you see them on display in the tokonoma of a Japanese room, but I kind of doubt this was general practice in Edo times. 

[Gordon Sanders]

That is quite interesting. How would these be transported in the field? Horse and carts or on the backs ?

[Guido]

How would these be transported in the field? Horse and carts or on the backs ?

 

Some yoroibitsu had indeed shoulder straps, but more common are those with handles at the sides than could be folded up, and a pole put through them, thus being carried by two people.

[Geraint]

Have a look at this Gordon, scroll down for the image. http://www.dekoele.nl/Samurai%20de%20krijgers%20uit%20het%20oude%20Japan/Samurai%20de%20krijgers%20uit%20het%20oude%20Japan.html

 

 Carried between two people with a pole through the appropriate handles.  I believe that one of our members has an external cage with handles that would have held an armour box without them so that it could be carried in the same way.

 

All the best.

 

("Snap!")

[md02geist]

Thank you all for the wonderful information!

[IanB]

Rob,  For most of the time during the Edo period the armours would not be on show but packed safely away. Most of the traditional stands I have seen are terrible for anything but short term display with no real support for any of the parts.  It was recommended that during the humid season they should be unpacked and placed out on the veranda covered with a cloth to prevent them going mouldy. When travelling it was required that all but the lower ranks of samurai be accompanied by a retinue that included an armour bearer who either carried the gusoku bitsu on a pole or with shoulder straps. There would also be a spearman and groom to lead the horse. I suspect that in some cases the armour box was empty unless it was intended to be worn. Armour was displayed indoors on occasions and what is not generally known is that the wife of high ranking people like daimyo also had armours that were displayed alongside that of their husbands. I once had the privilege of seeing the store at Sendai Museum and there was a row of armours belonging to the daimyo of the Date family together with the armours of their wives.  I doubt the wives ever wore them, they were there just as symbols of their presence.

Ian Bottomley

[md02geist]

Ian that is ridiculously good info, I thank you very much for that. I would love to see some displays like that. And simple items like Yoroi Bitsu are fascinating to me.

 

 

Do Yoroi Bitsu often come up for sale or in collections, or did they tend to simply be too beat up and fall apart for many of them to be preserved?

[uwe]

Rob, a considerable amount of yoroi bitsu in more or less good condition are extant. Most of them from the Edo period. Only a few have been preserved since Muromachi times. To be honest, I only saw one such for sale, so far (around 200.000,-JPY)!!!

[md02geist]

That's neat, would be a great item to have.

[Bugyotsuji]

Daimyo in Onomichi has one for sale at the moment. Some damage to a side wall(s)? and to the design. Used to belong to a friend of mine. It would cost to have it sent, so you might do better to wait a little and source one in the continental US.