What is this?

[Brian]

Acquaintance here got this in a small collection of Japanese edged weapons from a very old collection brought back from the East a long, long time ago.
Anyways, he asked me if this is Japanese and I am not quite sure what to say. The (left over) dragon appears Japanese. But if it is, then it is missing a lot of parts. Anyone able to identify and tell more?
I have asked for a pic of the inside.

[Gakusee]

Looks like a helmet bowl - a type of hachi? 

[Brian]

I imagine when it had the whole dragon intact it must have been quite impressive. But when, where and for whom?

[Bugyotsuji]

See Alain’s thread next door. 

[IanB]

Brian,  My first thought was that this was a variety of a jingasa designed to have a top crest, kashira date, in the form of a dragon, part of which wrapped around the body of the jingasa and lined up with the embossed dragon's tail. However, looking more closely it seems the tail is in reality lacquer, applied to the iron base. That being the case, that part of the dragon , that linked the tail to what was a crest, probably of the dragon's head, is now lost.

Ian Bottomley

[Brian]

Thanks @IanB
And your opinion of age and provenance? Japanese or Korean? Utilitarian or would have been something higher class?
I'll try to get an inspection of it, but he is 4 hours away.

[uwe]

Hmm,

 

noticing the lack of an koshimaki, I would follow Ian’s thought. Probably an kawari-jingasa with Korean bonds?!

I saw one once before but can’t remember were and how it was described…

[Fuuten]

This is the kind of (upside down), 'cup' shape that is said to have been used at one time by Furuta Oribe as a big tea 'bowl' when he did a sort of tea ceremony for his company and some other generals. Can't remember if it was prior to or after a big battle or which one. 

[IanB]

Dating a jingasa is never easy. However most of the ones we encounter, the rather flat lacquered ones are late Edo. They were introduced for the daimyo gyoretsu to replace the mixture of farmers' straw hats the participants wore when the weather was bad. The bajo jingasa, that look like a bowler hat, are even later, supposedly introduced in the 1850-60 period. During the Sengoku jidai the ashigaru were issued with conical jingasa, either of iron or lacquered rawhide. My dear old buddy Dr. Galeno had a gold lacquered rawhide one decorated with the kamon of Oda Nobunaga. The book of common soldiers published in the early 17th century shows these ashigaru's jingasa with a cloth curtain hanging from the sides and back. None of the very few jingasa of this type I have seen have had any form of attaching such a thing so they may have been glued in position. What you do see are bajo jingasa with pierced brass studs fitted on the underside for attaching a hood that spread over the shoulders and crossed at the front to cover the lowerpart of the face.  

[uwe]

In this particular case it’s even more difficult to date (although gut feeling says late Edo)…..

Well, we have an kasa jirushi no kan, so it’s at least a helmet. Maybe a view inside brings some enlightenment?!

[Bugyotsuji]

Üwé, just to make things more difficult, I do have a jingasa with such a Kasa jirushi no Kan.
Note the word ‘Kasa’ though, which denotes a lighter lid or cover or umbrella for the head from rain or sun.

These unfair crossover artefacts do continue to make life troublesome.

[uwe]

2 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Üwé, just to make things more difficult, I do have a jingasa with such a Kasa jirushi no Kan.
Note the word ‘Kasa’ though, which denotes a lighter lid or cover or umbrella for the head from rain or sun.

These unfair crossover artefacts do continue to make life troublesome.

Yep….🤓

I’m aware that are several Jingasa with this feature out there and I see a fair chance that we can also put this “item” in the jingasa drawer. On the other hand, it seems not practical for this purpose and looks quite heavy…..

Do we have the weight of it Brian?

[Brian]

No other info yet unfortunately. But I hope to meet up with him and will take better pics.
Is there consensus that this is antique and a real Eastern headwear? I mean it's not some 20th century Chinese wallhanger or curio ?

[Bugyotsuji]

Brian, the answer could be yes, real McCoy, but exactly ‘what, why and when’ may need more detailed photos from different angles underneath, and a report on its weight. Try a magnet on the remains of the dragon too.