Samurai Art Museum Unusual Weapons.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Hi all.

 

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm curious and would like to have info on the two items on the right signaled by an arrow.

they are out of my usual comfort zone.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Geraint]

Dear Carlo.

 

This is an unusual style of yari and its saya.  There is a similar example illustrated in one of Knutsen's books, the more recent I believe.  The example he shows is in the Horniman Museum from memory.  I have not noticed them in any other reference but they remind me f some of the more extreme arms illustrated in some samurai prints.  (R and P Knutson, "Japanese Spears", 2014, Plate 16 described as "The awesome Ono-no-yari from the Horniman Museum Collection..... This must surely have been made as a parade weapon from its very size.")

 

Looks like a nice display.

 

All the best.

[dominnimod]

A huge Yari with an axe head attached to the mounting? I wonder if it was designed for hunting purposes

[Death-Ace]

Well, actually in hiragana on the axe, it says "Break, in case if emergency," explaining all the shortened yari we see! Haha!

 

All joking aside, that is weird. Depending on the age of the yari, didn't even think that axe heads of that design as such existed or were created in the Far East in that time? Almost looks of a European design, could have been in trade from the Dutch or the yari a "younger example?"

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Dear Carlo.

 

This is an unusual style of yari and its saya.  There is a similar example illustrated in one of Knutsen's books, the more recent I believe.  The example he shows is in the Horniman Museum from memory.  I have not noticed them in any other reference but they remind me f some of the more extreme arms illustrated in some samurai prints.  (R and P Knutson, "Japanese Spears", 2014, Plate 16 described as "The awesome Ono-no-yari from the Horniman Museum Collection..... This must surely have been made as a parade weapon from its very size.")

 

Looks like a nice display.

 

All the best.

 

Now that you've mentioned Knutsen I remember it and checked . You are right :-)

[Alex A]

Well worth buying Ians book, Arms and armour of the Samurai.

 

Battle axes (Masakari) get a mention as being used by some Samurai, but rare.

[uwe]

I think, this example is not intended to be used. There is another one in a privat collection, very similar to Peter's display item (for sale, BTW). Another axe is in the collection of the "Überseemuseum" in Bremen. Quite different, though. I've a pic somewhere.....

[uwe]

.....found!

 

 

More suitable, I guess ....

[Markus]

As Uwe mentioned, the item in the Samurai Art Museum Berlin is not intended to be used. It is a ceremonial axe with sword tip which is referred to as ken'iri-masakari (剣入鉞). This interpretation is a little bit different from a fusô (斧槍) which is a yari with a long tang that has an axe element around it. In other words, the ken'iri-masakari is basically an axe with a normal sword-style nakago ken added on top. 

 

Such ritual axes have a quite obvious symbolic meaning, namely "cutting through the sins". As also Buddhist ritual swords have basically that meaning, you have here a good "combo," i.e. cutting off and cutting through the sins." 

 

FYI: The axe part is indeed made of steel but it is not sharpened. It has engravings of a dragon in clouds and the sword has a Fudô-Myôô on waterfall horimono. The piece is super heavy BTW

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Thanks Markus for your intervention.   

[Japan2112]

What a nice display. As always, Markus will weigh in with his good insight. I'd have to say that in the last 30 years I have not seen one. How unusual.

[IanB]

As Alex has said they do appear in prints, especially those showing Benkei, but I have never seen one in the flesh. There is another specimen of an axe illustrated in George Cameron Stone's 'Glossary of Arms & Armour ....' that has a curved saya that just fits over the cutting edge. He acquired some very interesting and rare items including a Japanese crossbow similar to one acquired by the Royal Armouries. That is now in the Met. Museum. in New York so I assume the axe will be there also.

Ian Bottomley