Mystery Kamon

[Wickstrom]

Hello All,

 

Having some trouble finding what family this mon belongs to. I got it off a showa dou that im looking to purchase. I did a rough sketch of it (my drawing isn't the best but you can at least get the idea of what it looks like), cherry blosom? Possibly a lotus? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Yoroshiku,

[Stephen]

id guess Ume mon, Maeda family

[xxlotus8xx]

Possibly Kikyo-mon.

Same on my Tsuba.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/451 ... 3e4b_m.jpg

[xxlotus8xx]

All replies from Stephen superseed mine.

[Wickstrom]

Thanks Steven and Lotus,

 

Looks like its Maeda then, I'll post some pics of the armor when/if i get it

 

Yoroshiku,

[IanB]

Andrew, The Maeda of Kaga were moved to Kanezawa after Sekigahara and classified as Tozama daimyo. Dr. Orikasa searched the Maeda documents and found that they persuaded a group of Haruta armourers to set up in Kanezawa and start production, even putting their low ranking soldiers to work doing some of the lower grade tasks. This group took on the grandson of a Korean armourer, brought over by Hideyoshi, as an apprentice. He adopted the name Unkai Mitsunao, eventually producing strange but fabulous quality armours for both the Maeda and for sale to others. The styles Mitsunao created often have a Buddhist motif and became so popular that even after Mitsunao's death the group continued to produce them. They are characterised by generally having a smooth face dou, often with a cloud-shaped and waist-plate in a contrasting colour. Applied to the dou was a central motif such as a shishi, ho-o bird or the like, in russet iron splashed with sawari. Their kote have rounded spatulate handguards without any shaping to the fingers and again with applied iron cut-outs and sawari. The real give away of Kaga armour are the toggles, in either horn, ivory or metal, of mokko shape. Cheaper Kaga armours generally have some of these characteristics and often small rounded 8 plate helmet bowls covered with dimpled lacquer that remind me of jockey-caps. I look forward to seeing your armour.

Ian Bottomley