What Did I Find? Kago Yari?

[Archer]

I recently picked up this little guy. It’s only 37” long in total, and the point is just over 2”. When I received it, the cover (which I’m 99% sure is the cover) was shoved on the other end. When I pulled it off there was nothing underneath so I suspect the ishizuki was lost at some point. There appears to be a hole left for mounting one. Anyway, have a look at the pictures and let me know what you think. My only guess at the moment is a kago yari, but it’s definitely on the small end. Maybe it was a kago yari for a samurai woman? Would love to hear your thoughts.

[Bazza]

A TE-YARI???  AKA a "pillow spear"??  Nice piece.

 

BaZZa.

[Ken-Hawaii]

A te yari is a hand spear, & I think that's what you have, Archer.

 

Welcome to the forum, & please sign your first name on all of your posts, per Brian's rules. If "Archer" IS your name, then nothing needs to be done.

[Geraint]

Dear Tyler.

 

While it is now mounted as a te yari or kago yari as we are discussing I have not noted this form of mei in yari but I have seen it in yanone.  My suggestion is that this might well be a large yanone repurposed as a small yari.  

The killer question really would be when this might have been done.  Was it done to use as a yari or later in the Meiji period to sell to the foreign market?

 

I have to say that either way I would still have bought it.  A nice find.

 

All the best.

[ROKUJURO]

Tyler,

welcome to the board!

For an arrow, your tip seems to be much too heavy. It is certainly a KAGO YARI, signed YASUYOSHI. Did you ever have a look at the NAKAGO?

[Geraint]

Have a browse here, https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22472/lot/45/?category=list&length=10&page=5

 

All the best.

[Marius]

Uchine yari. A very peculiar weapon.

[vajo]

Strange weapon indeed.

 

[Archer]

Thank you all for your comments. The feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

I'm not so sure about it being a Uchine yari. I say that only because all of the examples that I have seen are much shorter than this piece.

 

Geraint, I considered that it could be a repurposed yajiri. This could definitely be a possibility. I have not seen many yajiri that have a flat face like this does though. Most seem to have a center ridge that extends right to the base of the point with a six-sided base instead of eight like this example.

 

Rokujuro, I tried to remove the point, but I can't get it to budge in any direction. The pin the holds the ferrule in place does not extend through the nakago. I can tell this because the ferrule is loose and I can twist it slightly. The pin must be short and just extends a short way into the wood to hold the ferrule in place.

 

Anyone know what Smith Yasuyoshi may have been. I have been trying to find an example to match the style, but I have not had luck yet.

 

Thanks again for your comments. Here are some more pictures to get a better idea of scale and to show the taper in the shaft etc.

[Geraint]

Dear Tyler.

(If you go to your profile you can get your name auto added to your posts.)  If you have a look at the Bonhams link I posted there are a couple of examples that do have the flat and if you browse through the rest of the sale there are many, many more yanone to look at.  The fact that the pin does not go through the nakago adds weight to the thought.  You might not arrive at a definitive conclusion as there are always exceptions.  Still like it though.

 

All the best.