Japanese

The arrow tip is a traditional tamagahane steel hand made long arrow head, with folding and tempering exactly as would be a samurai sword blade, possibly signed on the tang under the binding but we would never remove it to see. The Togari-Ya or pointed arrowheads look like a small Yari (spear) and were used only for war and are armour piercing arrows . Despite being somewhat of a weapon that was 'fire and forget' it was created regardless of cost and time, like no other arrow ever was outside of Japan. For example, to create the arrow head alone, in the very same traditional way today, using tamahagane steel, folding and forging, water quench tempering, then followed by polishing, it would likely cost way in excess of a thousand pounds, that is if you could find a Japanese master sword smith today who would make one for you. Then would would need hafting, binding, and feathering, by a completely separate artisan, and finally, using eagle feathers as flights, would be very likely impossible. This is a simple example of how incredible value finest samurai weaponry can be, items that can be acquired from us that would cost many times the price of our original antiques in order to recreate today. Kyu Jutsu is the art of Japanese archery.The beginning of archery in Japan is pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (c. 500 BC – 300 AD).
The changing of society and the military class (samurai) taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyujutsu ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century. The Takeda-ryū and the mounted archery school Ogasawara-ryū were later founded by his descendants. The need for archers grew dramatically during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and as a result the founder of the Ogasawara-ryū (Ogasawara Nagakiyo), began teaching yabusame (mounted archery) In the twelfth and thirteenth century a bow was the primary weapon of a warrior on the battlefield. Bow on the battlefield stopped dominating only after the appearance of firearm.The beginning of archery in Japan is pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (c. 500 BC – 300 AD).
The changing of society and the military class (samurai) taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyujutsu ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century. The Takeda-ryū and the mounted archery school Ogasawara-ryū were later founded by his descendants. The need for archers grew dramatically during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and as a result the founder of the Ogasawara-ryū (Ogasawara Nagakiyo), began teaching yabusame (mounted archery) Warriors practiced several types of archery, according to changes in weaponry and the role of the military in different periods. Mounted archery, also known as military archery, was the most prized of warrior skills and was practiced consistently by professional soldiers from the outset in Japan. Different procedures were followed that distinguished archery intended as warrior training from contests or religious practices in which form and formality were of primary importance. Civil archery entailed shooting from a standing position, and emphasis was placed upon form rather than meeting a target accurately. By far the most common type of archery in Japan, civil or civilian archery contests did not provide sufficient preparation for battle, and remained largely ceremonial. By contrast, military training entailed mounted maneuvers in which infantry troops with bow and arrow supported equestrian archers. Mock battles were staged, sometimes as a show of force to dissuade enemy forces from attacking. While early medieval warfare often began with a formalized archery contest between commanders, deployment of firearms and the constant warfare of the 15th and 16th centuries ultimately led to the decline of archery in battle. In the Edo period archery was considered an art, and members of the warrior classes participated in archery contests that venerated this technique as the most favoured weapon of the samurai.

The arrows are made using yadake bamboo (Pseudosasa Japonica), a tough and narrow bamboo long considered the choice material for Japanese arrow shafts called no. The black {now faded to brown} and white feather flights {hane} are likely Steller's sea eagle feather. Period 1599 -1863. it is the essential munition of an archer.

Ya used in war by the samurai had a variety of tips called yajiri or yanone; these arrowheads were forged using the same steel (tamahagane) and methods as traditional Japanese swords. There are many different kinds of arrowhead and they all have their own special name. Togari-ya is a simple pointed design. The yanagi-ba, also known as "willow-leaf", is known for its elegant design. Karimata have a unique split point, and are sometimes referred to as "rope-cutters". The barbed "flesh-torn" is known as watakushi. The tagone-ya is shaped like a chisel. Kaburi-ya was used for signalling and creating fear with the loud whistling noise it would produce.

Ya were large enough that they could be signed on the tang by the fletcher in the manner of Japanese swords.

The no are made from yadake bamboo and can have different shapes – straight or tapered – depending on the use of the arrow in long-distance shooting or target practice. Lighter arrows can lose their stability when shot from a strong bow, heavier arrows have a trajectory that arcs more. Typically they use bamboo from the Kanto area. This is for a purely practical reason: bamboo will not grow fast enough in a cold area and the joints are too close together, whereas in a warm area the bamboo grows too fast and the joints are too far apart; the Kanto area has a moderate climate which makes the joints the perfect distance apart. The joints of the shaft help with the balance. After harvesting, bamboo continues to change in size and shape so it must rest for 2+1⁄2 to 3 years after cutting before it can be used. When it has aged the proper time the bamboo should provide a good tight grip around the tang of the yanone. The bamboo is tempered in a special kiln similar to the Viking beehive style and straightened with a tool called a tomegi, or "tree tame", which is also used when creating bamboo fishing poles. The appearance of the no varies; some are plain, while others glisten with red lacquer. The proper length is measured from the archer's throat to five centimeters beyond the tip of the outstretched left hand.

Fletching
The arrows are fletched with hane (feathers) about fifteen centimetres in length, and originally when made fletching can be the most expensive part of the arrow. Traditionally, the outermost tail feathers of large birds of prey were considered the finest. Many of these birds are now endangered – in particular the sea eagle – and therefore feathers of lesser eagles, swans, geese or even turkeys are being used in modern times. On the other hand, owl feathers were never used, as they were thought to be bringers of misfortune. Feathers from either the left and right wing may be used; these wing feathers naturally curve left or right. Ya with feathers from the left wing are called haya and they spiral clockwise, whereas ya made from the right wing feathers are called otoya and they spiraled counter-clockwise.

Nock
The nock or hazu is often made from goat or deer horn and archers file the slot to match the diameter of their own bowstring. Older or ceremonial ya can have bamboo nocks.

The sea eagle feathers are somewhat tired and worn, but considering their age, likely 200 to 300 years old, they have survived very well indeed.

The last photo in the gallery is another, display mounted, Edo takari ya just to illustrate how long the tang would be on our arrow head that is concealed by the haft.  read more

Code: 25356

This is a most impressive sword of superb elegance with all original Edo koshirae fittings and mounts that compliment each other beautifully.

The tettsu plate tsuba has takebori multi coloured gold leaves tumbling down the branches of a weeping willow, with a pair of swallows in flight swooping above a rolling river. The fuchi kashira are takebori shi-shi lion dogs in gold on a Nanako ground. Shakudo and gold menuki over black tsukaito.
The blade is late Koto to early Shinto, and shows a most attractive and impressive grain, almost a blending of two styles, the Mokume Hada, this is based on Itame hada using a different hammer blow to produce whorls yet it also verges on a Shitahara Hada. A Shitahara-hada shows conspicious uzumaki burls along the centre of the blade, i.e. along the shinogi-ji or the center of the ji if in hira-zukuri. But these burls might also appear more towards the ha or in an irregular manner, that means as isolated large burls in places.
However, in truth, it takes about 10 to 15 times fold depending on the methods used by the swordsmith. With every fold, the strength of the sword increases.

The gold flower lacquer decor on the saya has very elegant black pen-work defining upon every leaf and flower. The result of such fine and technical craftsmanship is incredibly pleasing to the eye. With the finest abilone infused black urushi beneath and clear urushi upon the outer whole, it is a saya of incredible beauty.
Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for over 7000 years.
Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords
Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

Some provinces of Japan were famous for their contribution to this art: the province of Edo (later Tokyo), for example, produced the most beautiful lacquered pieces from the 17th to the 18th centuries. Lords and shoguns privately employed lacquerers to produce ceremonial and decorative objects for their homes and palaces.
The varnish used in Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the urushi tree, also known as the lacquer tree or the Japanese varnish tree (Rhus vernacifera), which mainly grows in Japan and China, as well as Southeast Asia. Japanese lacquer, 漆 urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree. The tree must be tapped carefully, as in its raw form the liquid is poisonous to the touch, and even breathing in the fumes can be dangerous. But people in Japan have been working with this material for many millennia, so there has been time to refine the technique!
Flowing from incisions made in the bark, the sap, or raw lacquer is a viscous greyish-white juice. The harvesting of the resin can only be done in very small quantities.
Three to five years after being harvested, the resin is treated to make an extremely resistant, honey-textured lacquer. After filtering, homogenization and dehydration, the sap becomes transparent and can be tinted in black, red, yellow, green or brown.
Once applied on an object, lacquer is dried under very precise conditions: a temperature between 25 and 30°C and a humidity level between 75 and 80%. Its harvesting and highly technical processing make urushi an expensive raw material applied in exceptionally fine successive layers, on objects such as bowls or boxes.After heating and filtering, urushi can be applied directly to a solid, usually wooden, base. Pure urushi dries into a transparent film, while the more familiar black and red colours are created by adding minerals to the material. Each layer is left to dry and polished before the next layer is added. This process can be very time-consuming and labor-intensive, which contributes to the desirability, and high costs, of traditionally made lacquer goods. The skills and techniques of Japanese lacquer have been passed down through the generations for many centuries. For four hundred years, the master artisans of Zohiko’s Kyoto workshop have provided refined lacquer articles for the imperial household

Nanako Ji: "fish roe ground" A surface decoration on the swords fuchi kashira are produced by forming very small raised bosses by a sharply struck punch or burin called 'nanako tagane'. Shakudo is the metal most often used, but copper and gold are quite often employed. The harder metals, shibuichi, silver and iron are rarely decorated in this way. The size of the dots vary from 0.04" to 0.008" (25 to 125 and inch) and the regularity of the work is marvelous as the dots must be spaced entirely by touch. The dots are usually arranged in straight lines or in lines parallel to the edge of the piece being decorated, but sometimes in more elaborate patterns. Used on guards since the Momoyama period although the technique existed since much earlier periods. Usually done by specialist 'nanako-shi', but sometimes done by the maker of the guard himself

A katana was two shaku or longer in length (one shaku = about 11.93 inches). However, the Chisa katana is longer than the wakizashi, which was somewhere in between one and two shaku in length. The most common blade lengths for Chisa katana was approximately eighteen to twenty-four inches. They were most commonly made in the Buke-Zukuri mounting (which is generally what is seen on katana and wakizashi). The chisa katana was able to be used with one or even two hands like a katana. The Chisa Katana is a slightly shorter Katana highly suitable for two handed, or two sword combat, or, combat within enclosed areas such as castles or buildings. As such they were often the sword of choice for the personal Samurai guard of a Daimyo, and generally the only warriors permitted to be armed in his presence. Chisa katana, Chiisagatana or literally "short katana", are shoto mounted as katana.

The chisa katana was also the long sword of choice for the art of twin sword combat, using two at once in unison, a chisa katana and wakazashi, one in each hand, a form used by the great and legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday.
Miyamoto Musashi 1584 – June 13, 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezo, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Doraku, was an expert Japanese swordsman and ronin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent, and unique double bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 60 duels. He was the founder of the Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu or Niten-ryu style of swordsmanship and in his final years authored the The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today.

The blade is in old polish and superb condition for age with the tiniest of near invisible edge marks at the kissaki. The lacquer saya is also in fabulous condition for age with just very small surface losses in one area.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25316

7450.00 GBP

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Superb Koto blade in very fine polish showing stunning activity. When it first arrived the blade looked super but had a few very light old fingerprint stains, after two months away for conservation it now looks absolutely wonderful, likely just as it did when it left Japan after it was presented to an Englishman in the 1870’s. It has very fine quality Edo period shakudo and shibuishi mounts, including a fuchi decorated with takebori pure gold monkeys climbing a tree on a nanako ground.

Nanako Ji: "fish roe ground" A surface decoration produced by forming very small raised bosses by a sharply struck punch or burin called 'nanako tagane'. Shakudo is the metal most often used, but copper and gold are quite often employed. The harder metals, shibuichi, silver and iron are rarely decorated in this way. The size of the dots vary from 0.04" to 0.008" (25 to 125 and inch) and the regularity of the work is marvellous as the dots must be spaced entirely by touch. The dots are usually arranged in straight lines or in lines parallel to the edge of the piece being decorated, but sometimes in more elaborate patterns. Used on guards since the Momoyama period although the technique existed since much earlier periods. Usually done by specialist 'nanako-shi', but sometimes done by the maker of the guard himself.
A very similar example of a Fuchi with gold monkeys, possibly by the same Japanese craftsman, is in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore USA.

The kashira is decorated with gold and silver sea shells and sea grasses, and the tsuba has a shakado basket, a jingasa helmet and the ninja angle bladed hand weapon with chain called a Kusarigama, and a ninja shikome-zue a hidden sword disguised as a walking stick. Very fine pure gold decorated shakudo menuki under the Edo silk binding, and the Edo saya has a fine ishime stone finish lacquer. Very good and well defined gunome based on suguha hamon.

Used by a high ranking samurai retainer of the samurai Governor of Settsu, Fuyuyasu, who in his turn served as a highest rank retainer of the Miyoshi clan and a samurai Captain of the Awaji Navy. He was the third son of Miyoshi Motonaga and adopted by the Atagi clan. The Atagi were related to the Miyoshi clan and served the Mioyshi clan. They commanded ships for the Miyoshi clan crewed by samurai. Fuyuyasu served as captain of the Awaji Navy in support of the Miyoshi governance, but was killed by his eldest brother, Miyoshi Nagayoshi. There are many views and uncertainties regarding the reasons for the incident.

Fuyuyasu’s father, Motonaga, reached a settlement with Hosokawa Harumoto, in 1531, only to be killed the following year by monks acting in concert with Harumoto’s rival, Hosokawa Takakuni. Harumoto served as a sengoku daimyō and kanrei, or deputy shōgun, to Ashikaga Yoshiharu. Harumoto was the final kanrei of the Muromachi period to exercise real authority.

The Atagi clan served as the navy for Awaji Province. His older brother, Nagayoshi, was driven out of the Kinai and went to the island province of Awaji. Nagayoshi arranged for Fuyuyasu to be adopted by Atagi Haruoki, lord of the Atagi clan, and to become his successor.

On behalf of the Miyoshi clan, Nagayoshi led soldiers on battles in Settsu, Kawachi, and Izumi provinces. Fuyuyasu’s next eldest brother, Miyoshi Jikkyū, operated in Awa Province. Fuyuyasu served in Awaji, and his younger brother, Sogō Kazumasa, in Sanuki Province. Fuyuyasu participated in suppression actions near Ōsaka Bay, the Battle of Kitashirakawa against Hosokawa Harumoto in 1558, and the Battle of Kumeda against Hatakeyama Takamasa in 1562, causing the loss of his brother, Jikkyū. Fuyuyasu retreated to Awa, and just months later, prevailed against Takamasa at the Battle of the Kōkyō Temple in the Takayasu District of Kawachi Province.

Thereafter, Kazumasa, Jikkyū, and Miyoshi Yoshioki (Nagayoshi’s eldest son and Fuyuyasu’s nephew), all died in succession. Fuyuyasu made great efforts supporting Nagayoshi in a bid for survival of the Miyoshi family. Nevertheless, in 1564, Fuyuyasu was summoned to Iimoriyama Castle and forced to kill himself at the age of thirty-eight. His son, Atagi Nobuyasu, became his successor. The naval history of Japan began with early interactions with states on the Asian continent in the 3rd century BCE during the Yayoi period. It reached a pre-modern peak of activity during the 16th century, a time of cultural exchange with European powers and extensive trade with the Asian continent.
The Sengoku period (15th–16th century)
Various daimyo clans undertook major naval building efforts in the 16th century, during the Sengoku period, when feudal rulers vying for supremacy built vast coastal navies of several hundred ships. The largest of these ships were called atakebune. Around that time, Japan seems to have developed one of the first ironclad warships in history, when Oda Nobunaga, a Japanese daimyo, had six iron-covered Ō-atakebune ("Great Atakebune") made in 1576 . These ships were called tekkosen (鉄甲船), literally "iron armoured ships", and were armed with multiple cannons and large calibre rifles to defeat the large, but all wooden, vessels of the enemy. With these ships, Nobunaga defeated the Mori clan navy at the mouth of the Kizu River, near Osaka in 1578, and began a successful naval blockade. The O-atakebune are regarded as floating fortresses rather than true warships, however, and were only used in coastal actions. After over two centuries of self-imposed seclusion under the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan's naval technologies became outdated compared to Western navies. The country was forced to abandon its maritime restrictions by American intervention with the Perry Expedition in 1854. As to be expected the blade has a few light fingerprint stains. overall in saya 37.25 inches, blade tsuba to tip 26.3 inches long It is important to bear in mind, that due to the revered status that Japanese swords achieve for most of their working lives in Japan, that the condition they survive in can be simply remarkable. One can see just how remarkable it can be, by comparing the condition of this fine sword that was made around the same time as the early Tudor period of King Henry the VIIIth to any equivalent aged, surviving, early Tudor period sword, from any country outside of Japan, and that comparison will show just how fine any Japanese sword’s state of preservation, from the same era, truly can be.  read more

Code: 23644

7450.00 GBP

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More photos to be added on Monday.
A wonderful original antique Edo period {1603-1863} Samurai long war bow Yumi, made in either yohonhigo or gohonhigo form {4 piece or 5 piece bamboo laminate core, that is surrounded by wood and bamboo, then bound with rattan and lacquered}
Edo Era, 1600 to 1700's, with different arrows, war and practice, three fixed with sea eagle feathers, one unfeathered, that fit into in a cherry bark lacquer quiver {yabira yazutsu} with four arrows {ya}, including a rare ageha swallow tail arrow. The ageha swallow tail arrows of this type appear mostly in the Kamakura period, the head may indeed be from that period. Experienced Kamakura archers were allowed to use arrows with the V-shaped swallowtail prong {ageha}. If armour is struck, it will splinter, so, the optimum target for a lethal blow on any opponent, wearing full traditional samurai armour (O-Yoroi), is the space just beneath the helmet visor that is often bare. It was once told to us by a very aged and respected Japanese sensei visitor, who was a master of Yabusame mounted archery, that to hit a samurai at the bridge of the nose, beneath his kabuto helmet peak, with the swallowtail ageha ya, it would penetrate both eyes at once. It may not be instantly lethal but the samurai would be immediately blinded, and thus have no function in combat.

The arrows are made using yadake bamboo (Pseudosasa Japonica), a tough and narrow bamboo long considered the choice material for Japanese arrow shafts. The black {now faded to brown} and white feather flights {hane} are likely Steller's sea eagle feather. Period 1599 -1863. The lidded quiver is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship in hardened lacquered tree bark pattern. A functionary yumi rattan bow string holder and string tsuru, it is an essential munition of an archer. Material is wooven rattan in spool shape used to wrap sinew string, often strapped with leather and horn. A functionary yumi rattan bow string holder is an essential munition of an archer.

These sets are very rarely to be seen and we consider ourselves very fortunate, indeed privileged, to offer one.
It was from the use of the war bow or longbow in particular that Chinese historians called the Japanese 'the people of the longbow'. As early as the 4th century archery contests were being held in Japan. In the Heian period (between the 8th and 12th centuries) archery competitions on horseback were very popular and during this time training in archery was developed. Archers had to loose their arrows against static and mobile targets both on foot and on horseback. The static targets were the large kind or o-mato and was set at thirty-three bow lengths and measured about 180cm in diameter; the deer target or kusajishi consisted of a deer's silhouette and was covered in deer skin and marks indicated vital areas on the body; and finally there was the round target or marumono which was essentially a round board, stuffed and enveloped in strong animal skin. To make things more interesting for the archer these targets would be hung from poles and set in motion so that they would provide much harder targets to hit. Throughout feudal Japan indoor and outdoor archery ranges could be found in the houses of every major samurai clan. Bow and arrow and straw targets were common sights as were the beautiful cases which held the arrows and the likewise ornate stands which contained the bow. These items were prominent features in the houses of samurai. The typical longbow, or war bow (daikyu), was made from deciduous wood faced with bamboo and was reinforced with a binding of rattan to further strengthen the composite weapon together. To waterproof it the shaft was lacquered, and was bent in the shape of a double curve. The bowstring was made from a fibrous substance originating from plants (usually hemp or ramie) and was coated with wax to give a hard smooth surface and in some cases it was necessary for two people to string the bow. Bowstrings were often made by skilled specialists and came in varying qualities from hard strings to the soft and elastic bowstrings used for hunting; silk was also available but this was only used for ceremonial bows. Other types of bows existed. There was the short bow, one used for battle called the hankyu, one used for amusement called the yokyu, and one used for hunting called the suzume-yumi. There was also the maru-ki or roundwood bow, the shige-no-yumi or bow wound round with rattan, and the hoko-yumi or the Tartar-shaped bow. Every Samurai was expected to be an expert in the skill of archery, and it presented the various elements, essence and the representation of the Samurai's numerous skills, for hunting, combat, sport and amusement, and all inextricably linked together.

The mounted archer mainly controls his horse with his knees, as he needs both hands to draw and shoot his bow. As he approaches his target, he brings his bow up and draws the arrow past his ear before letting the arrow fly with a deep shout of In-Yo-In-Yo (darkness and light).

Yabusame (流鏑馬) is a type of mounted archery in traditional Japanese archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special "turnip-headed" arrows successively at three wooden targets.

This style of archery has its origins at the beginning of the Kamakura period. Minamoto no Yoritomo became alarmed at the lack of archery skills his samurai possessed. He organized yabusame as a form of practice.

Nowadays, the best places to see yabusame performed are at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū in Kamakura and Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto (during Aoi Matsuri in early May). It is also performed in Samukawa and on the beach at Zushi, as well as other locations.
On his final day in Japan in May 1922, Edward, Prince of Wales was entertained by Prince Shimazu Tadashige (1886–1968), son of the last feudal lord of the Satsuma domain. Lunch was served at Prince Shimazu’s villa, followed by an archery demonstration. Afterwards, the Prince of Wales was presented with a complete set for archery practice, including an archer’s glove, arm guard and reel for spare bowstrings

This war bow is 86 inches long {but too long to ship abroad}  read more

Code: 25342

4950.00 GBP

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