What Did I Just Buy?!?

[SwordGuyJoe]

Okay - I give sound advice to new collectors, about, if you have any questions about an item, ask BEFORE you buy.  Yes, good advice.  No, I didn't follow it.  I I jumped in on this yoroi at $1,000, thinking, "Well, there's no way I will win at that price!"  So what the hell did I just buy?  With shipping, I'll be in at about $1,200.  

 

Here is the ebay link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/K-Japanese-YOROI-ARMOR-SEKIBA-FAMILY-OF-MATSUDAIRA-CLAN-c1850-/162543645368?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=oVjiK5isDR%252BLd95Fd7%252Bg%252FwN%252BvzU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

Here is the write up: 

"Comment: There is not reserve price.  This is Japanese yoroi armor of late Edo era.  Also condition is good. All the parts are original parts  And It was made for Sekiba family on c1850(kaei 3 years)  It was the time of the war in the Japan.  Sekiba family is Samurai of Aizu province of Matsudaira clan.  There is the signature that made this inside of a box for Sekiba family   on c1850.  They fought by Boshin War in 1868.The Samurai of Sekiba family would probably wear this armor  Anyway, Please get your good Japanese yoroi armor!!!e.  This armor is armor of 250 years ago.   And this still shines and lives.  Please touch the history of the Japanese samurai in your hand.  You may feel something!!  You can feel soul of samurai of late Edo era with this armor.  Please check picture, and Please get your good collectin!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[estcrh]

So what the hell did I just buy?  With shipping, I'll be in at about $1,200.

Tetsu kuro urushi, hinero zunari kabuto, nimai yokohagi okegawa dou gusoku, missing the haidate. The shino suneate and bishamon kote seems to match. The odoshi of the kote, hanpo, kusazuri and the kabuto shikoro seems to match. Winning bid:US $930.00. Shipping: $300.00=$1230, so you bought what appears to be a completely matching, munitions grade armor with storage box but without haidate. 

 

There a few other known examples of the type of armor you bought, late Edo period, no frills, basic protection, either loaned to a samurai that was not exactly high ranking but worthy of being given an armor to use or a low cost purchase. This time period brought an increase in interest among samurai to procure basic armor and weapons for themselves.

 

Here is another similar example.

 

[SwordGuyJoe]

So not a complete waste of money then?

[uwe]

So not a complete waste of money then?

No Joe, no wasted money in this case, I guess :-)

Like Eric said, simple late armor, made for use. Might be okashi!? Regarding the notation in the lid of the bitsu, 3. year Kaei = 1850, if I'm not wrong. Some better pics needed for estimation.

 

Oh, skipped dealer description....

[SwordGuyJoe]

Thanks guys! I was more worried about it being fake. I know literally nothing about these.

[Ken-Hawaii]

I hope you'll send us a photo of what you look like wearing it, Joe. Should be an interesting topic for your new sword club.

 

Ken

[estcrh]

So not a complete waste of money then?

An inexpensive (relatively) armor for display, it will look nice with some swords, yari etc on racks next to it.

[estcrh]

Might be okashi!?

 

On okashi, from "The Watanabe Art Musuem Samurai Armour Collection, Volume I ~ Kabuto & Mengu, Volume 1, Trevor Absolon, 2011. I would recommend looking for any writing on the inside of the armor.

 

Something that I have no proof of but have thought may be a possibility, while people usually refer to "okashi" in terms of armors that we lent for use and then returned to an armory for storage after used, I think that some higher grade examples may have been lent to mid ranking samurai on a more permanent basis.

[SwordGuyJoe]

I'm enjoying the lesson. Thanks!

[Curran]

Joe-

   You have kids. You just bought your Halloween costume for the next 10 years.

Just wear a safetyvest or something with it, since you'll be hard to spot at night.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Lol!!!! Now I know the way to pitch it when it arrives. Thanks Curran.

[Stephen]

Your man cave just got smaller, let us know how that flys when you want to set it up in the den...lol

 

 

btw pretty cool

[SwordGuyJoe]

LOL. Thanks. I'll try Curran's approach, "But honey, it was cheap and practical."

 

Then when that doesn't work, I'll think of something else.

[ROKUJURO]

Joe,

apart from the fact that the seller had a problem to calculate the age  (....This armor is armor of 250 years ago..... ) I think this is a nice purchase if you have the space to display it. Don't expose it to sunrays! 

[b.hennick]

Joe will need a stand for the armour. They are not all that easy to find. Start looking now...

[Curran]

Just wear a nametag too:

 

Name:

     DARTH V.

   - from the Empire and here to help.

 

 

Seriously- for the price paid, pretty good.

I'm a clutterphobe and even I would have been tempted.

Your mancave did just get smaller, and it is on you to dust it.

[estcrh]

Joe,

 

apart from the fact that the seller had a problem to calculate the age  (....This armor is armor of 250 years ago..... )

167 years.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Some of my best and favorite swords are less that half that old, so 167 years is ancient (to me at least)!

[Toryu2020]

You'll want to bone up on Aizu history, the historical connections if real will add to the interest and value for sure.

A nice find, count me jealous...

-t

[SwordGuyJoe]

Thanks Tom!

[Jean]

No I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, No I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, No I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, No I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous, no I am not jealous,.....

[SwordGuyJoe]

Lol. Well if people would've lied to me and just said it was fake and a bad one at that, it could've been yours Jean

[Jean]

Ok people, you know what to do...

[Curran]

You'll want to bone up on Aizu history, the historical connections if real will add to the interest and value for sure.

A nice find, count me jealous...

-t

 

Tom is right, as usual. The Aizu history is quite a story.

 

I watched a fair bit of the drama Sae no Sakura:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-004&hsimp=yhs-004&hspart=mozilla&p=Yae+no+sakura#id=1&vid=ada031333bc2aaff0624d045b05011be&action=click

Just watch a few minutes of Episode 1 and you'll get an idea.   Civil War --> Boshin War  Battle of Aizu.

 

Historical figure in the drama:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamamoto_Yaeko

Worth a read.

[SAS]

"But Honey, we have to survive the Purge!" Nice score.

[SwordGuyJoe]

That's a great angle actually! She is one of those people that is interested in doomsday prepping (but not so inclined to actually do anything about it).

[Bugyotsuji]

$1,200 including shipping is dirt cheap. Congratulations. A replica could cost way more than that.

 

And Yae no Sakura was a great TV series. Bugyotsuji 5-star recommendation.

 

(Yae went on to marry Niijima Joe who had escaped feudal Japan, gone to Amherst College Mass., and later founded Doshisha University in Kyoto.)

[Ted Tenold]

Just wear a nametag too:

 

Name:

     DARTH V.

   - from the Empire and here to help.

 

 

Seriously- for the price paid, pretty good.

I'm a clutterphobe and even I would have been tempted.

Your mancave did just get smaller, and it is on you to dust it.

 

 

Heh heh, I was just going to say:  something that will never be completely dust free.  Maybe insert a Swiffer into the obi wakizashi style so it'll always be at hand!  

 

The only thing I really know about armor is that I don't need another thing for a lifetime to study.  If you take Curran's advice as a halloween costume, then perhaps a nice bright LED flashlight as a Maidate for safety!  

[estcrh]

You should be able to find a cheap haidate to complete your armor, here is an example.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HAIDATE-of-YOROI-armor-EDO-20-1-22-8-570g-/122553647184?hash=item1c88c44050:g:6nQAAOSwurZZJRHT

[Greg F]

Great score Joe! The price is excellent and a great looking armor. I have a Zunari Kobuto too and hope to match it with body armor in the future. Congrats mate.

 

Greg