Milwaukee Public Museum: Japan
THE FIRE BRIGADES
During the long peace that accompanied isolation (1638 -1854), the samurai of the provincial "daimyo" were organized into fire brigades. These brigades competed with one another to be the first to plant their standard at a conflagration. The open charcoal "hibachi", the fireworks during festivals and the occasional earthquakes kept them busy.
The tinder-like construction of Japanese architecture precluded salvation once a building caught fire. At best the brigades could only hope to prevent the destruction of surrounding structures. Hence it was necessary to tear down the burning building as soon as possible. For this the brigades were armed with "kumade", rakes with right angled blades, and "kama yari", shorter handled rakes on chains, to pull down the main building supports. To protect their heads from falling timbers and tiles, the samurai wore a metal covered papier-mache helmet with neck cape, while their kimonos, the "kwaji-baori", had short sleeves for freedom of movement.
ARMOR
The samurai was a mounted warrior. However, Japanese ponies were unable to support excessive loads until interbred with Arabian stock imported by the Portuguese. Consequently horses were unarmored except for papier-mache face masks. The weight of the riders armor also was kept to a minimum. The entire suit fit into a box, the gusoku-bitsu, that could be carried on the back of the samurai's attendant.
Japanese armor had eight basic elements. The helmet, the kabuto, consisted of a bowl of laminated iron with a skirt of lacquered scales laced together to protect the back of the neck. An iron mask, the mempo, or half-face mask, occasionally with detachable nose piece, protected the face. A skirt of laced scales suspended from it protected the neck. A separate neck guard, the nodowa, was worn if this skirt was absent.
The main body of the armor, the do, was made of either iron plates or silk laced scales. At its waist a skirt of laced scales, the kusazuri, was attached. The sleeves, the kote, were of chain mail backed with silk, while the shoulders were protected by the sode, laced strips of iron; both were attached to the do with silk cords.
Under the skirt and tied to his waist, the samurai wore thigh guards, the haidate, of silk laced scales or chain mail. The shin guards, the suneate, were either made of laminated iron or chain mail with reinforcing lacquered iron strips. Foot armor was occasionally worn, although the stirrups, which like the saddle were of Chinese design, adequately protected the horseman's feet.
EDGED WEAPONS
The mineral deposits of Japan contained magnetite, a high-grade iron ore. From this ore the swordsmith patiently fashioned the edged weapons of the samurai. Repeated forging and folding of the iron produced multilayered blades of unsurpassed quality.
The long-bladed "daito" was the most valued samurai weapon. Originally suspended at the left side, it was known as the "tachi". With the peace that accompanied isolation in 1650 this sword and scabbard were thrust in the sash and were known as the "katana". The samurai also carried a shorter sword, the "wakizashi", originally used to decapitate fallen foes. The two swords together were called "daisho". Some of the finer examples of early Japanese art have been encountered on the hand guards of these swords. The sides of the scabbards were inlet to accept the three kinds of eating utensils used by the samurai.
The few retired samurai carried only a short blade known as either a "hamadashi" or an "aikuchi". It symbolized status as a fighter, and could be used to perform ceremonial suicide, "seppuku" or, as it commonly is known in the West, "harakiri". An even smaller knife, the "kwaiken", was carried by the wives and daughters of the samurai for use in the ceremonial suicide of severing the neck arteries, "jigai". Occasionally the "wakizashi" was also used for "harakiri".
The "naginata", a blade of the same length as the "wakiza-shi", served as the point of the spear used by noble women. A number of other points were affixed to spears, the "yari", and distinguished the various kinds. When carried in processions of important land holders, these spears were capped with horsehair crests, and the "naginata" were encased with flag-like covers bearing the heraldic "mon".
PROJECTILE ARMS
Foremost among samurai arms was the bow, or "yumi". Six to seven and a half feet long with an off-center handle, the laminated bow was made from sumac sandwiched between bamboo and held together with rattan. Iron-tipped arrows were also made from bamboo. Specialization occurred in all phases of Japanese arms manufacture. In making swords, certain individuals manufactured the blade, others ground and polished it, and still others mounted and sold it. Similarly arrows, bows and quivers were separately crafted. The introduction of firearms ended the military use of the bow; nevertheless, archery long continued as the gentleman's sport.
The matchlock smoothbore musket was introduced by the Portuguese, and soon the Japanese mastered the art of its manufacture. Firearms were a decisive factor in ending the civil wars and unifying the country under the shogunate. Of the European cultural elements introduced by the Portuguese, only firearms went unrepressed during the isolation. However, no attempt was made to technically improve them during this period. As a result, when Perry visited Japan in 1854 and 1855, he found the Japanese still using the stylized matchlocks.
Milwaukee Public Museum: Japan
THE FIRE BRIGADES
During the long peace that accompanied isolation (1638 -1854), the samurai of the provincial "daimyo" were organized into fire brigades. These brigades competed with one another to be the first to plant their standard at a conflagration. The open charcoal "hibachi", the fireworks during festivals and the occasional earthquakes kept them busy.
The tinder-like construction of Japanese architecture precluded salvation once a building caught fire. At best the brigades could only hope to prevent the destruction of surrounding structures. Hence it was necessary to tear down the burning building as soon as possible. For this the brigades were armed with "kumade", rakes with right angled blades, and "kama yari", shorter handled rakes on chains, to pull down the main building supports. To protect their heads from falling timbers and tiles, the samurai wore a metal covered papier-mache helmet with neck cape, while their kimonos, the "kwaji-baori", had short sleeves for freedom of movement.
ARMOR
The samurai was a mounted warrior. However, Japanese ponies were unable to support excessive loads until interbred with Arabian stock imported by the Portuguese. Consequently horses were unarmored except for papier-mache face masks. The weight of the riders armor also was kept to a minimum. The entire suit fit into a box, the gusoku-bitsu, that could be carried on the back of the samurai's attendant.
Japanese armor had eight basic elements. The helmet, the kabuto, consisted of a bowl of laminated iron with a skirt of lacquered scales laced together to protect the back of the neck. An iron mask, the mempo, or half-face mask, occasionally with detachable nose piece, protected the face. A skirt of laced scales suspended from it protected the neck. A separate neck guard, the nodowa, was worn if this skirt was absent.
The main body of the armor, the do, was made of either iron plates or silk laced scales. At its waist a skirt of laced scales, the kusazuri, was attached. The sleeves, the kote, were of chain mail backed with silk, while the shoulders were protected by the sode, laced strips of iron; both were attached to the do with silk cords.
Under the skirt and tied to his waist, the samurai wore thigh guards, the haidate, of silk laced scales or chain mail. The shin guards, the suneate, were either made of laminated iron or chain mail with reinforcing lacquered iron strips. Foot armor was occasionally worn, although the stirrups, which like the saddle were of Chinese design, adequately protected the horseman's feet.
EDGED WEAPONS
The mineral deposits of Japan contained magnetite, a high-grade iron ore. From this ore the swordsmith patiently fashioned the edged weapons of the samurai. Repeated forging and folding of the iron produced multilayered blades of unsurpassed quality.
The long-bladed "daito" was the most valued samurai weapon. Originally suspended at the left side, it was known as the "tachi". With the peace that accompanied isolation in 1650 this sword and scabbard were thrust in the sash and were known as the "katana". The samurai also carried a shorter sword, the "wakizashi", originally used to decapitate fallen foes. The two swords together were called "daisho". Some of the finer examples of early Japanese art have been encountered on the hand guards of these swords. The sides of the scabbards were inlet to accept the three kinds of eating utensils used by the samurai.
The few retired samurai carried only a short blade known as either a "hamadashi" or an "aikuchi". It symbolized status as a fighter, and could be used to perform ceremonial suicide, "seppuku" or, as it commonly is known in the West, "harakiri". An even smaller knife, the "kwaiken", was carried by the wives and daughters of the samurai for use in the ceremonial suicide of severing the neck arteries, "jigai". Occasionally the "wakizashi" was also used for "harakiri".
The "naginata", a blade of the same length as the "wakiza-shi", served as the point of the spear used by noble women. A number of other points were affixed to spears, the "yari", and distinguished the various kinds. When carried in processions of important land holders, these spears were capped with horsehair crests, and the "naginata" were encased with flag-like covers bearing the heraldic "mon".
PROJECTILE ARMS
Foremost among samurai arms was the bow, or "yumi". Six to seven and a half feet long with an off-center handle, the laminated bow was made from sumac sandwiched between bamboo and held together with rattan. Iron-tipped arrows were also made from bamboo. Specialization occurred in all phases of Japanese arms manufacture. In making swords, certain individuals manufactured the blade, others ground and polished it, and still others mounted and sold it. Similarly arrows, bows and quivers were separately crafted. The introduction of firearms ended the military use of the bow; nevertheless, archery long continued as the gentleman's sport.
The matchlock smoothbore musket was introduced by the Portuguese, and soon the Japanese mastered the art of its manufacture. Firearms were a decisive factor in ending the civil wars and unifying the country under the shogunate. Of the European cultural elements introduced by the Portuguese, only firearms went unrepressed during the isolation. However, no attempt was made to technically improve them during this period. As a result, when Perry visited Japan in 1854 and 1855, he found the Japanese still using the stylized matchlocks.