John A Stuart Posted January 7, 2009 Report Posted January 7, 2009 Ian B. asked that when I get the Takeda book picturing the wooden armour I might post a pic of it. The description below may help. I added some more quick snaps of other armours in the book. They aren't very good, but, if some interest anyone I will take better pics if asked. John Quote
IanB Posted January 7, 2009 Report Posted January 7, 2009 John, Thank you for posting the images. What we seem to have here is something knocked up in an emergency. If you look carefully, the wooden slats have what looks like a set of kusazuri attached. From the shape of the front one, it would seem it has come from some kind of o-yoroi. The jingasa is standard low ranking troops issue. An interesting assembly. Very similar cuirasses were used by the Tinglit (sp?) and other peoples in the sub-arctic regions. These were of flat wood splints, arranged vertically, and laced together with hide strips. Ian Bottomley Quote
John A Stuart Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Posted January 7, 2009 Hi Ian, It is the only example I have ever seen like this. What is really strange is that this book has various Takeda treasures and this is included among them. It must be the oddity of it. I include an example of Tlingit body armour for folks to compare. The Tlingit were very bellicose and quite innovative. When they came into contact with the Russians they used metal to make their armour as well, in fact there is an example using Chinese coins as a type of scale armour. I have always thought that the northern Pacific rim had a quite active trade network encompassing Hokkaido, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, West Siberian coast, Alaska and N.A. west coast. John Quote
IanB Posted January 8, 2009 Report Posted January 8, 2009 John, Thank you for posting the new images. I had only ever seen rather poor pictures of these items in Stone's Glossary ... I agree there must have been a lot more trade than we think. A while ago I was writing about Japanese fletchings and it seems many species of sub-arctic raptors were denuded of their tail feathers for the purpose. I remember seeing a wonderful set of exotic fletchings in Sendai Museum, ready cut and trimmed and fastened onto decorative paper. Presumably that is how they were presented for sale. Ian Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted January 8, 2009 Report Posted January 8, 2009 All I can read under the photo is, "Bamboo armour.... for xxx soldiers, Sengoku Jidai". Can you get a clearer shot of the writing, John? Quote
John A Stuart Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Posted January 8, 2009 Sure. Give me a tick. John Here it is. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted January 8, 2009 Report Posted January 8, 2009 Thanks John. Nobody is better than me, but here is a rough translation: "Bamboo suit of armour. For peasant footsoldier. Sengoku Jidai. Originally owned by an old family household in Makioka Town. Bamboo armour uses a high quality hard bamboo Sane to protect the body instead of flat metal plates or Neri-kawa. With original Yoroi-bitsu." (Reserve the option to go back and edit as and when the inspiration strikes.) Quote
Brian Posted January 8, 2009 Report Posted January 8, 2009 Bugyotsuji said: Nobody is better than me.... Don't you love the fact that any new members who read that and don't know Moriyama san's username are going to go Brian Quote
John A Stuart Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Posted January 8, 2009 :lol: :lol: Thank you. John Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted January 8, 2009 Report Posted January 8, 2009 Feeble attempt at joke. Apologies! Quote
IanB Posted January 9, 2009 Report Posted January 9, 2009 One doesn't want to be a party pooper but isn't the idea of an ashigaru armour having a gusoku bitsu rather pretentious? I can see the jingasa might be Sengoku Jidai - but the bamboo armour? There is no reason to doubt it was found as stated but it is stretching credibility to think that the lord the ashigaru was fighting for couldn't afford proper armour and had his troops kitted out in something that is even less sophisticated than Taisho period kendo gear. I suppose it might have had the opposition rolling on the floor laughing their socks off but otherwise it would have been rather less than a satisfactory against swords, spears and bullets. Bit of tongue-in-cheek attribution here I think. Ian Bottomley Quote
John A Stuart Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Posted January 9, 2009 I agree Ian. Any accounts that I have read about Takeda Shingen refers to how well he outfitted his armies in very good armours. Maybe these were only for a unit whose main campaign occupation was manual labour for the most part, making temporary defensive structures or taking care of the train, baggage and horses for instance. Like the foresters. One pic doesn't make a rule, but, is interesting. John Quote
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