Feathered Saya?

[Adonay]

Hi all,

 

I recently acquired the first print mentioned in this topic: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10954&p=93043&hilit=gekko#p93043

 

What i don't understand is that it looks like the saya is made of, or at least covered in, feathers. I recall seeing this before sometime but have no clue to it's use. Was it fashion or did it had a practical reason? Anyone willing and able to enlighten me? Thanks in advance!

[Henry Wilson]

I think the saya is covered in an animal fur, like bear skin. I have seen this on paintings / scrolls of warriors from around the Heian period through Kamakura period.

 

I hope this helps.

[sanjuro]

Archers typically wore these saya covers during the Heian and Kamakura periods. They were made of bear skin, tiger skin (Typically the tail), and snow leopard. They were in effect a cover for the lacquered saya to protect it from the elements.

Not usually feathers as you first thought, although there was a variety of scabbard cover made of ibis feathers which was popular for a period at court during the Heian Period.

[k morita]

Hi, :D

It is called "shirizaya "(The cover of a sheath).

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1916&hilit=shirizaya

[sanjuro]

Thanks Morita san. The term occurred to me when I was typing my post but I wasnt 100% sure of it.

[Adonay]

Thanks all for the explanation! Interesting thought though, to wear a cover to protect the cover

 

Is there an explanation for the fact that typically archers wore them?

[sanjuro]

Not a specific reference that I can locate. All samurai were essentially archers however, and it was therefore a fairly safe assumption. Shirizaya of this type were also worn by higher ranking generals. The tiger skin ones were mostly an indication of higher rank it seems. Most illustrations featuring the bear fur type are associated with bow bearing warriors. Lower ranking samurai did not favour them possibly because they would have been rather expensive. All of this is perhaps a coincidence in my own observations, but one upon which I based my original statement.............

 

A cover to protect a cover? Well yes, but a saya is lacquered and prone to suffer from sunlight particularly. It makes sense to protect it from incidental damage and the elements since it is quite an important and not an easily replaced item.

[Henry Wilson]

Thank you Mr. Maarten de G, Mr Gibbons and Mr Morita for asking and answering such an interesting question. I have been meaning to find out more about such covered saya but have not had time to dig around.

 

Best regards

[Adonay]

And thank you all for learning here every single day! Learning gives more room for new questions to arise

 

A cover to protect a cover? Well yes, but a saya is lacquered and prone to suffer from sunlight particularly. It makes sense to protect it from incidental damage and the elements since it is quite an important and not an easily replaced item.

 

I understand and agree. For me it is just another pointer towards the significance of the saya and I always like it when an item shows such proof. Thanks for the explanation!

[sanjuro]

Finally I found the quotations I was looking for......... :D

 

Below are some quotations concerning tachi no shirizaya you may find interesting, from The sword book in Honcho Gunkiko:

 

"When riding especially in fashionable dress, a narrow shirizaya of tiger skin was used. When mourning, a shirizaya of water leopard was worn." (water leopard was a black skin..sui hyo).

"Court musicians (Bujin) wore shirizaya of tiger skin or bamboo leopard (Chikuhiyo)".

 

"At the beginning, shirizaya were used only in warfare and when travelling, but finally they became part of the decoration of the sword".

 

"The tiger skin shirazaya was worn by the Taishogun (field marshal), and the rest of the warriors had shirizaya of bearskin."

(This last quotation is from the Heike Monogatari, Gempei Seisuiki). :D

[Adonay]

Just saw your reply Keith, thanks for the quotes!