Japanese

A Wonderful Late Koto to Early Shinto Period Samurai Katana In Superb Condition Circa 450 Years Old. Superb Original Full Suite of Original Edo Koshirae, Including Gold and Shakudo Goto School Mounts & Signed Tsuba

The blade is absolutely stunning in very fine polish, and showing a beautiful billowing, very deep hamon of extraordinary fine quality. Goto gold and shakudo fuchi kashira of deep takebori chrysanthemums and tendrils. Gold menuki of hawks, and a complimentary signed mokko form iron plate tsuba with a hawk in flight with gold highlights. Original Edo tsuka-ito and blade polish, and original Edo saya with fabulous original ishime pattern urushi lacquer of top quality, with minor age bruising and a saya jiri mount of pierced openwork.

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.

The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of to stop the spear expanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they may be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

It has been said that part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai, it has been said, that if they tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.

Long 29 inch blade, overall in saya 40.3 inches long

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 trading  read more

Code: 24998

An Original Antique Edo Period Suit of Samurai Gesoku Armour With gilt Tomoe Mon, of the Kobayakawa Clan. With Dragon Cuirass & Momonari Kabuto With Hanbo

Momonari kabuto ( peach-shaped skull), in the style influenced by European 'morion' helmets, with Mon, face armour, hanbo with tare throat protectors,, and datemono mandate of the Kobayakawa clan, and the mon of Kobayakawa Takakage (小早川 隆景, 1533 – July 26, 1597) was a samurai and daimyō (feudal lord) during the Sengoku period

Mid Edo armour, without kusazari, with beautiful urushi lacquered do a Yokohagi okegawa dō: Tosei dō made from horizontal plates decorated with a dragon. Cinnabar lacquer bachi helmet bowl, a kabuto of , with painted doeskin decorated mabizashi,
kusari kote arm sleeves, multi laced Ito sode shoulder guards, kusazuri, this is the plate skirt that protects the lower part of the body as well as the upper leg. It is laced together to the upper plates. For the armour made during the Heian and Kamakura periods, the skirt was made with both leather and iron. However, post-Muromachi Period armor saw a shift mainly to iron, with some being made from roasted leather.

The armour was made from a combination of materials, including leather, lacquered wood, and metal, and was designed to be both lightweight and flexible. The most iconic feature of the samurai armor is the kabuto, a helmet adorned with decorative features such as crests, horns, and a neck guard.

The mon as used by Kobayakawa Takakage was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the Kobayakawa clan and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of the Kobayakawa, the Takehara-Kobayakawa clan (竹原小早川氏) and Numata-Kobayakawa clan (沼田小早川氏). He became an active commander of the Mōri army and he with his brother Kikkawa Motoharu became known as the “Mōri Ryōkawa", or “Mōri's Two Rivers" (毛利両川). As head of the Kobayakawa clan, he expanded the clan's territory in the Chūgoku region (western Honshū), and fought for the Mōri clan in all their campaigns

At first he opposed Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi but later swore loyalty and became a retainer of Hideyoshi who awarded him domains in Iyo Province on Shikoku and Chikuzen Province on Kyūshū, totalling 350,000 koku. Hideyoshi gave him the title Chûnagon also appointed him to the Council of Five Elders but died before Hideyoshi himself.

Scholars agree that Japanese armour first appeared in the 4th century, with the discovery of the cuirass and basic helmets in graves. During the Heian period (794-1185), the unique Japanese samurai armour ō-yoroi and dō-maru appeared. The Japanese cuirass evolved into the more familiar style of body armour worn by the samurai known as the dou or dō, with the use of leather straps (nerigawa), and lacquer for weatherproofing. Leather and/or iron scales were also used to construct samurai armours, with leather and eventually silk lace used to connect the individual scales (kozane) of these cuirasses.

In the 16th century, Japan began trading with Europe, during what would become known as the Nanban trade. This was the first time matchlock muskets were imported, and as they became mass-produced domestically, samurai needed lighter and more protective armour. As a result, a new style of armour called tosei-gusoku (gusoku), which means modern armour, appeared. After the Battle of Sekigahara and the victory of the Tokugawa, a united Japan was created and entered the so-called 'peaceful Edo period', however, then from henceforth, the shoguns promoted rivallry between his daimyo fuedal clan lords, in order for their military ambitions, attention and suspicions to be upon each other, rather than the shogun. So there were no wars, as such, for over 250 years, but, hundreds of internecine battles, thus samurai continued to combat as usual, using both plate and lamellar armour. This practice, of a version of divide and conquer, of internal factions, rather than external forces, was adopted by many despots ever since, including Sadam Hussein of Iraq, extremely efficiently, and for over 20 years in his case.

Ōyamazumi Shrine is known as a treasure house of Japanese armour. It houses 40% of Japanese armour that has been designated as a National treasure and an Important Cultural Property. Kasuga Grand Shrine is also known as a treasure house of valuable armour

Some photos show the kabuto on a stand for demonstration purposes only stand not included
The kabuto bashi of red urushi lacquer has natural age surface crackling and small areas of loss.

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: 24994

A Superb 1875 pattern Japanese General's Dress Parade Sword of an Imperial Japanese Army General of the Matsuura Clan. Lt General Junrokurō Matsuura Commander of the 106th Infantry Division in China

A Matsura clan sword, especially of such rank and quality is a very rare thing, but to get two high ranking swords from two members of the same family, is an amazingly rare occurrence, especially as they were used by the Matsura many hundreds of years apart. And sourced by us from two entirely unconnected previous private owners. See 24321 for the early Matsura clan daimyo sword.

The hilt has all its original gilt and the general's pattern fully relief decorated back strap surmounted by the silver clan mon of the Matsuura clan, its original multi wire bound generals pattern hawksbill turtle grip, is superbly intact, and the blade has an unusual crab-claw pattern, etched, full length hamon to the blade, in very good polish, with just slight overall service abrasive wear. The nickle plated scabbard in very nice condition for age, with a single very small dent and a few plate surface blemishes. It has a single mount ring

The 1875 pattern General's parade sword had one of the longest service lives of all the Japanese military swords. Worn from the late 1870's right into the end of WW2. Emperor Meiji carried the 1875 General's parade sword as did Emperor Hirohito, the Showa Emperor and last living god of Japan, carried his 1875 General's sabre when on horseback, which of course may well have been his ancestors sword Emperor Meiji {see in the gallery Emperor Hiro Hito with the sword carried on horseback with one scabbard ring, and Emperor Meiji wearing the sword while seated, using two scabbard rings.}

Due research revealed the most probably owner of the sword due to the only Matsuura Clan General in military service in this period.

Junrokurō Matsuura {also spelt Matsura}, was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and WW2. In Japanese terms the second world war started earlier than most, from the invasion of China. For America WW2 ran from 1941 to 1945, as did WW2 for Russia, and for Britain and Europe in started in two years earlier in 1939.

Matsuura was Head of the Personnel Bureau of the Ministry of War until 1935. Then Commandant of Toyama Army Infantry School in 1935, and that same year became the commander of IJA 10th Division until 1937 when he went into the reserves and retired
However, in 1938, General Matsuura was recalled to active service, and appointed the commanding officer of the IJA 106th Division in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, in command of an excess of 10,000 officers and men. His division was involved the Wuchang-Hankou Campaign especially the Battle of Wanjialing.

The report written by Lieutenant General Matsuura, the head of the 106th Division of the Japanese Army, to the Emperor of Japan. In the report, he wrote: "In the Wuhan battle , 3321 people died in battle, 12 people above the battalion commander, 4085 were hospitalized for war injuries, and 7969 were hospitalized for common diseases. Most of them died in Wanjialing."
He returned to Japan in early 1939, with his division reduced to just around 1,000 survivors of the battle and went into retirement once more.

The sword is in superb condition, with all its original gilt to the hilt, with the general's pattern back strap surmounted with the silver Matsuura clan mon. The hilt grip is the general's pattern hawksbill turtle shell, with original multi wire binding. The blade has a crabclaw pattern etched hamon, a single hi and in in full polish with just slight wear. Nickel plated steel scabbard with single ring.
1875 pat generals sword of the Matsura {also spelt Matsuura}

The Matsura family of Hirado, in present-day Nagasaki Prefecture, has a long and storied 800-year history. The clan’s origins are quite colourful—they were involved in trading with Korea and China, smuggling and even piracy. During the epic war between the Taira (Heike) and Minamoto (Genji) at the end of the Heian period, the Matsura sided with the Heike and provided men and boats for the climactic battle of Dannoura, which ended in a complete victory for the Minamoto and paved the way for their leader, Yoritomo, to establish the Kamakura Shogunate, beginning the era of warrior rule of Japan.

During the Kamakura period, the Matsura, through there trading and smuggling network along the vital Chinese ports and trade paths, helped keep the Shogunate informed of Kublai Khan’s invasion plans for Japan in 1274 and 1281 and once again supplied men and material to fight the Mongol invaders. Later on, in the 1500s, as Japan fell deeper into the chaos of civil war, the Matsura gradually increased their powerbase and became a hub of international trade with the Portuguese, Dutch and English, amassing an incredible amount of wealth in this little corner of Kyushu.

The Matsura allied themselves with Toyotomi Hideyoshi when he invaded Kyushu as part of his campaign to unify Japan. In return for their loyalty, Hideyoshi confirmed Matsura Shigenobu as daimyo (feudal lord) over Hirado, a holding valued at an annual income of 63,200 koku (1 koku = amount of rice needed to feed one person for a year). This income was handsomely complimented the amount of money the Matsura were hauling in from legitimate foreign trade as well as the old smuggling and piracy connections (direct involvement in piracy seems to have faded by the early 1600s). As a loyal vassal to Hideyoshi, Shigenobu led a large contingent of his samurai into Korea as a part of Japan’s failed invasion of Korea from 1591-1598. Upon the end of the war, the Matsura built Hinotake Castle as the clan’s main residence. However, the extensiveness of the Castle’s defences, combined with the clan’s neutrality during the clash between the pro-Toyotomi and Tokugawa forces at the battle of Sekigahara brought the clan under the suspicion of the Tokugawa as they consolidated power under their new shogunate. Knowing the clan had much to lose in terms of trade grants as well as its fief, Shigenobu took the dramatic step of setting Hinotake Castle on fire to show the Tokugawa that he was defenceless and at their mercy as a loyal retainer.

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: 24983

A Breathtaking Ancient Daimyo Quality Samurai Katana Up To 700 Years Old, of the Matsura Clan With All Original Edo Mounts of Finest Goto School Quality Made of Pure Gold and Shakudo

A Matsura clan sword, {also spelt Matsuura}, especially of such rank and quality, is a very rare thing, but to get two high ranking swords from two members of the same family, is an amazingly rare occurrence, especially as they were used by the Matsura many hundreds of years apart, and sourced from two entirely unconnected private collectors. See 24983 for the WW2 Matsura Generals sword

A stunningly impressive sword and the blade looks absolutely fabulous. The fuchi of Goto school is one of the most beautiful we have seen, of prancing pure silver and shakudo samurai ponies, over a nanako ground, under the ito are Goto, shakudo and pure gold ponies, adorned in gold samurai armour, and the Goto tsuba is decorated with pure gold and shakudo shi shi lion dogs, on a mokko shaped iron plate. The kashira is carved black buffalo horn, the tsuka hilt is bound in original Edo period Imperial 'shiro' white silk tsuka-ito, the colour of purity, and with the combination of superior Goto fittings it is indeed indicative of the mark of the highest rank and status of samurai, possibly even of daimyo rank.


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 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.
The colour white was called 'shiro, the colour of the gods'. White was also the colour that a samurai who was to commit seppuku should wear. The Imperial white ito has now aged to a mellow off-white.
The blade is likely from between the Kamakura 1192-1336 to Nambokochu 1333 to 1391 period and has an astoundingly deep curvature typical of the ancient period of sword making of 700 years ago. It is showing a beautiful gunome hamon with stunning activity, and in super condition for age.

This is the perfect example to show just how incredible early samurai sword blades are, appearing much as it did around 700 years ago, due its quality and the care and respect it received over the past hundreds of years. By comparison, there is likely not a single surviving European sword blade of the same age, in the same condition, anywhere in the world.

The original Edo period ishime stone finish urushi lacquer saya has a amazing hidden dragon within the lacquer finish itself , that can only seen when the saya is rotated slightly to hit the light just so. The habaki has the three pierced circle clan kamon of the Matsura clan.

As the military class (buke, or samurai) increased in numbers and importance during the 11th and 12th centuries, the term daimyo came to be applied to those military lords who began exercising territorial control (and later proprietary rights) over the various private estates into which the country had become divided. In the 14th and 15th centuries the so-called shugo daimyo arose. These daimyo were appointed as military governors (shugo) under the Ashikaga shoguns (hereditary military dictators), and they held legal jurisdiction over areas as large as provinces. The shugo daimyo’s private landholdings were quite limited, however, and these daimyo gained much of their income from levying taxes on the cultivated lands owned by civil aristocrats and religious establishments. In the second half of the 15th century the shugo daimyo were supplanted by the Sengoku daimyo (i.e., daimyo of the Sengoku, or “Warring States” period); these military lords held small but consolidated domains in which all the land belonged to themselves or was held in fief by their vassals. By the late 15th century the Sengoku daimyo had divided Japan into a series of small, belligerent states as each individual daimyo competed for the control of more territory. The Sengoku daimyo built castles in the hill country from which they controlled their vassals, who likewise were petty landowners with castles.

In the 16th century the Sengoku daimyo fought among themselves constantly, and a process of consolidation ensued, with fewer and fewer daimyo emerging from the local wars and each holding more and more territory. In 1568 Oda Nobunaga began the movement of decisive military conquest over the daimyo that was later carried on by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and completed in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu. By this time roughly 200 daimyo had been brought under the hegemony of the Tokugawa family, the head of which served as shogun.

The Gotō School of sword-fittings makers was founded in the fifteenth century by Gotō Yūjō, who is said to have been patronized by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1435–1490). The work of the Gotō masters is characterized by painterly designs carved in high relief on a ground of shakudō (an alloy of copper and gold chemically treated to turn a rich blue-black), finished in nanako (tiny circles punched regularly over the surface to give it a granular appearance) with colorful accents in gold and silver. The succeeding generations of Gotō masters continued to work in these soft metals and concentrated on the smaller sword fittings, such as kozuka (the handle of the small utility knife fitted into a slot on the back of a sword scabbard), kōgai (a skewer-like hairdressing tool carried in the front of the scabbard), and menuki (a pair of grip ornaments secured by the handle wrappings).

The Matsura family of Hirado, in present-day Nagasaki Prefecture, has a long and storied 800-year history. The clan’s origins are quite colourful—they were involved in trading with Korea and China, smuggling and even piracy. During the epic war between the Taira (Heike) and Minamoto (Genji) at the end of the Heian period, the Matsura sided with the Heike and provided men and boats for the climactic battle of Dannoura, which ended in a complete victory for the Minamoto and paved the way for their leader, Yoritomo, to establish the Kamakura Shogunate, beginning the era of warrior rule of Japan.

During the Kamakura period, the Matsura, through there trading and smuggling network along the vital Chinese ports and trade paths, helped keep the Shogunate informed of Kublai Khan’s invasion plans for Japan in 1274 and 1281 and once again supplied men and material to fight the Mongol invaders. Later on, in the 1500s, as Japan fell deeper into the chaos of civil war, the Matsura gradually increased their powerbase and became a hub of international trade with the Portuguese, Dutch and English, amassing an incredible amount of wealth in this little corner of Kyushu.

The Matsura allied themselves with Toyotomi Hideyoshi when he invaded Kyushu as part of his campaign to unify Japan. In return for their loyalty, Hideyoshi confirmed Matsura Shigenobu as daimyo (feudal lord) over Hirado, a holding valued at an annual income of 63,200 koku (1 koku = amount of rice needed to feed one person for a year). This income was handsomely complimented the amount of money the Matsura were hauling in from legitimate foreign trade as well as the old smuggling and piracy connections (direct involvement in piracy seems to have faded by the early 1600s). As a loyal vassal to Hideyoshi, Shigenobu led a large contingent of his samurai into Korea as a part of Japan’s failed invasion of Korea from 1591-1598. Upon the end of the war, the Matsura built Hinotake Castle as the clan’s main residence. However, the extensiveness of the Castle’s defences, combined with the clan’s neutrality during the clash between the pro-Toyotomi and Tokugawa forces at the battle of Sekigahara brought the clan under the suspicion of the Tokugawa as they consolidated power under their new shogunate. Knowing the clan had much to lose in terms of trade grants as well as its fief, Shigenobu took the dramatic step of setting Hinotake Castle on fire to show the Tokugawa that he was defenceless and at their mercy as a loyal retainer. Blade tsuba to tip 28.25 inches long , 40 inches long overall , tsuka 10.75 inches long.  read more

Code: 24321

A Fine Japanese Senior Middle Rank Naval Officer’s 1883 Pattern Kyu-Gunto Sabre Used From Russo-Japanese War, WW1 and WW2

Gilt pierced hilt with folding side guard, wire bound giant rayskin grip and single knuckle bow, gilt and polished samegawa giant rayskin saya. Overall in very nice condition. Regular etched gunome hamon pattern blade, full length.

As soon as Japan opened up to foreign influences, the Tokugawa shogunate recognized the vulnerability of the country from the sea and initiated an active policy of assimilation and adoption of Western naval technologies.

Russo-Japanese War. At the Battle of Tsushima, Admiral Togo (flag in Mikasa) led the Japanese Grand Fleet into the decisive engagement of the war. The Russian fleet was almost completely annihilated: out of 38 Russian ships, 21 were sunk, seven captured, six disarmed, 4,545 Russian servicemen died and 6,106 were taken prisoner. On the other hand, the Japanese only lost 116 men and three torpedo boats.62 These victories broke Russian strength in East Asia, and triggered waves of mutinies in the Russian Navy at Sevastopol, Vladivostok and Kronstadt, peaking in June with the Potemkin uprising, thereby contributing to the Russian Revolution of 1905. The victory at Tsushima elevated the stature of the navy.

The new fleet consisted of:58

6 battleships (all British-built)
8 armored cruisers (4 British-, 2 Italian-, 1 German-built Yakumo, and 1 French-built Azuma)
9 cruisers (5 Japanese, 2 British and 2 US-built)
24 destroyers (16 British- and 8 Japanese-built)
63 torpedo boats (26 German-, 10 British-, 17 French-, and 10 Japanese-built)
Japan entered World War I on the side of the Entente, against Germany and Austria-Hungary, as a consequence of the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance. In the Siege of Tsingtao, the Imperial Japanese Navy helped seize the German colony at Jiaozhou Bay. During the siege, beginning on 5 September 1914, Wakamiya conducted the world's first successful sea-launched air strikes. On 6 September 1914, in the very first air-sea battle in history, a Farman aircraft launched by Wakamiya attacked the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth and the German gunboat Jaguar off Qingdao.72 from Jiaozhou Bay. Four Maurice Farman seaplanes bombarded German land targets like communication and command centers, and damaged a German minelayer in the Tsingtao peninsula from September to 6 November 1914 when the Germans surrendered.

A battle group was also sent to the central Pacific in August and September to pursue the German East Asia squadron, which then moved into the Southern Atlantic, where it encountered British naval forces and was destroyed at the Falkland Islands. Japan also seized German possessions in northern Micronesia, which remained Japanese colonies until the end of World War II, under the League of Nations' South Seas Mandate.74 Hard pressed in Europe, where she had only a narrow margin of superiority against Germany, Britain had requested, but was denied, the loan of Japan's four newly built Kongō-class battlecruisers (Kongō, Hiei, Haruna, and Kirishima), some of the first ships in the world to be equipped with 356 mm (14 in) guns, and the most formidable battlecruisers in the world at the time.75

Following a further request by the British and the initiation of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany, in March 1917, the Japanese sent a special force to the Mediterranean. This force, consisted of one protected cruiser, Akashi as flotilla leader and eight of the Navy's newest Kaba-class destroyers (Ume, Kusunoki, Kaede, Katsura, Kashiwa, Matsu, Sugi, and Sakaki), under Admiral Satō Kōzō, was based in Malta and efficiently protected allied shipping between Marseille, Taranto, and ports in Egypt until the end of the War.76 In June, Akashi was replaced by Izumo, and four more destroyers were added (Kashi, Hinoki, Momo, and Yanagi). They were later joined by the cruiser Nisshin. By the end of the war, the Japanese had escorted 788 allied transports. One destroyer, Sakaki, was torpedoed on 11 June 1917 by a German submarine with the loss of 59 officers and men. A memorial at the Kalkara Naval Cemetery in Malta was dedicated to the 72 Japanese sailors who died in action during the Mediterranean convoy patrols.77

In 1917, Japan exported 12 Arabe-class destroyers to France. In 1918, ships such as Azuma were assigned to convoy escort in the Indian Ocean between Singapore and the Suez Canal as part of Japan's contribution to the war effort under the Anglo-Japanese alliance. After the conflict, the Japanese Navy received seven German submarines as spoils of war, which were brought to Japan and analysed, contributing greatly to the development of the Japanese submarine industry.

Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II

The IJN launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans and crippling the US Pacific Fleet. During the first six months of the Pacific War, the IJN enjoyed spectacular success inflicting heavy defeats on Allied forces. Allied navies were devastated during the Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia. Japanese naval aircraft were also responsible for the sinkings of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse which was the first time that capital ships were sunk by aerial attack while underway. In April 1942, the Indian Ocean raid drove the Royal Navy from South East Asia.

In 1943, the Japanese also turned their attention to the defensive perimeters of their previous conquests. Forces on Japanese held islands in Micronesia were to absorb and wear down an expected American counteroffensive. However, American industrial power become apparent and the military forces that faced the Japanese in 1943 were overwhelming in firepower and equipment. From the end of 1943 to 1944 Japan's defensive perimeter failed to hold.

The defeat at the Philippine Sea was a disaster for Japanese naval air power with American pilots terming the slanted air/sea battle the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, mostly going in the favour of the US,126 while the battle of Leyte Gulf led to the destruction of a large part of the surface fleet. During the last phase of the war, the Imperial Japanese Navy resorted to a series of desperate measures, including a variety of Special Attack Units which were popularly called kamikaze. By May 1945, most of the Imperial Japanese Navy had been sunk and the remnants had taken refuge in Japan's harbours. By July 1945, Nagato was the only remaining ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy's capital ships that had not been sunk in raids by the United States Navy

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: 24988

An Iron Plate Katana Edo Tsuba Decorated With Small Figures In Rain Garb

Circa 1650. Small fishermen towing nets wearing rain hats and tied straw body coverings. With large fauna as a side decoration. With kozuka and kogaiana. The Tsuba can be solid, semi pierced of fully pierced, with an overall perforated design, but it always a central opening which narrows at its peak for the blade to fit within. It often can have openings for the kozuka and kogai to pass through, and these openings can also often be filled with metal to seal them closed. For the Samurai, it also functioned as an article of distinction, as his sole personal ornament  read more

Code: 19525

A Beautiful Koto Period Samurai Chisa Katana, Around 500 Years Old

Most handsome original Koto period samurai sword with fine quality original matching Edo period fuchigashira and menuki with gold decorated flowers and birds, a birds in flight pierced o-sukashi tsuba in iron.

Original Edo saya with a chamfered panel to one side.

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.
21 inch blade tsuba to tip. 32 inches long overall

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: 24954

Full Suit Of Original Early Edo Period Samurai Gesoku Armour, Shown with a Kabuto {Kabuto Now Sold}

In our opinion there is no greater aesthetically attractive suit of antique original armour to compare to the Japanese samurai armour. One can see them displayed in some of the finest locations of interior decor in the world today.

For example, in the Hollywood movies such as the James Bond films many of the main protagonists in those films decorated their lush and extravagant billionaire properties with samurai armours. They can be so dramatic and beautiful and even the simplest example can look spectacular in any correct location with good lighting.

Original early Edo period.
Chain mail over silk Kote arm armour with plate Tekko hand armour. Fully laced and plate Sode shoulder armour Fully laced four panels of Haidate waist armour Fully laced Kasazuri thigh Armour, with Suneate. This armour is absolutely beautiful.

Japanese armour is thought to have evolved from the armour used in ancient China and Korea. Cuirasses and helmets were manufactured in Japan as early as the 4th century.Tanko, worn by foot soldiers and keiko, worn by horsemen were both pre-samurai types of early Japanese cuirass constructed from iron plates connected together by leather thongs.

During the Heian period 794 to 1185 the Japanese cuirass evolved into the more familiar style of armour worn by the samurai known as the dou or do. Japanese armour makers started to use leather (nerigawa) and lacquer was used to weather proof the armor parts. By the end of the Heian period the Japanese cuirass had arrived at the shape recognized as being distinctly samurai. Leather and or iron scales were used to construct samurai armours, with leather and eventually silk lace used to connect the individual scales (kozane) which these cuirasses were now being made from.

In the 16th century Japan began trading with Europe during what would become known as the Nanban trade. Samurai acquired European armour including the cuirass and comb morion which they modified and combined with domestic armour as it provided better protection from the newly introduced matchlock muskets known as Tanegashima. The introduction of the tanegashima by the Portuguese in 1543 changed the nature of warfare in Japan causing the Japanese armour makers to change the design of their armours from the centuries old lamellar armours to plate armour constructed from iron and steel plates which was called tosei gusoku (new armours).Bullet resistant armours were developed called tameshi gusoku or (bullet tested) allowing samurai to continue wearing their armour despite the use of firearms.

The era of warfare called the Sengoku period ended around 1600, Japan was united and entered the peaceful Edo period, samurai continued to use both plate and lamellar armour as a symbol of their status but traditional armours were no longer necessary for battles. During the Edo period light weight, portable and secret hidden armours became popular as there was still a need for personal protection. Civil strife, duels, assassinations, peasant revolts required the use of armours such as the kusari katabira (chain armour jacket) and armoured sleeves as well as other types of armour which could be worn under ordinary clothing.Edo period samurai were in charge of internal security and would wear various types of kusari gusoku (chain armour) and shin and arm protection as well as forehead protectors (hachi-gane).

Armour continued to be worn and used in Japan until the end of the samurai era (Meiji period) in the 1860s, with the last use of samurai armour happening in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion. The armour has some affixing loops lacking. Stand for photo display only not included. This armour has areas of worn and distressed lacquer and areas of cloth/material that are perished due to it's great age as would be expected, but the condition simply adds to its beauty and aesthetic quality, displaying its position within its combat use in Japanese samurai warfare. We would always recommend, in our subjective opinion, that original antique samurai armour looks its very best left completely as is, with all it wear and age imperfections left intact.

The helmet, is now sold, and full armour can all be purchased separately, but priced together here now. the helmet is shown on its own, under stock number 22215, photographed with an optional accessory for kabuto, a maedate clan helmet crest, but that maedate has now been sold separately. The price shown is for the helmet and armour. The armour alone is £7045. the helmet alone is £2950 if purchased separately.  read more

Code: 21624

A Very Good & Beautiful Shinto Long Katana Signed Chikanobu

All original Edo period mounts and lacquer saya. Fine iron tsuba. With a very beautiful choji hamon to the blade is an absolute beauty, and fully polished. Long kissaki. Dark blue silk tsukaito over traditional giant rayskin with gold and bronze menuki of dragons. Fully matching suite of sinchu and contrasting silver line mounts to the tsuka and saya, Matsushiro Sinano school. The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behavior on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means ?one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of [to stop the spear] exanding into bushido (?the way of life of the warrior?) and bun (?the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai?). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesized in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they were trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

As part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace. Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art. Often times swordsmiths were more famous than the people who used them.
likely details on the Chika[nori] nobu. Slight name change here, he was then actually signing Chikanobu as he did on this blade, [ appears in kanji reference notes as nori, nobu is next to nori, and thus often confused] . He also used to be known as Shigechika

Chikanobu, previously known as Shigechika, studied under 1st generation Aizu Kanetomo, [circa 1660].

Chikanobu received the name nobu from Kanetomo [as an honour] to therefore thus change his name.

Kanetomo also used to be known as another name once, Kanenobu and thus passed the nobu name to Shigechika [as an honour], who thus changed his name to Chikanobu  read more

Code: 23063

A Most Attractive 500 Plus Year Old Samurai Battle Katana With All Original Edo Mounts,

Shibui mounted in all its original Edo period mounts and saya. Higo iron fushigashira mounts, decorated with takebori gold aoi leaves. Tetsu round tsuba with pierced kozuka and [gilt copper filled] kogai hitsu-ana. The original Edo saya lacquer is simply beautiful, in two shades of black with an intricate fine rainfall pattern within the design. The menuki under the Edo silk binding, are patinated takebori flowers with pure gold highlights. The blade has a beautiful undulating hamon pattern of considerable depth.
Shibui is a term that effectively translates to ‘quiet’ , it is a reference to a sword that has a relatively subdued look as it concentrates on high quality yet subtle elegance, as it is a sword entirely concentrating on combat and less on flamboyant display. Of course all samurai swords were designed for combat, often despite being mounted as works of art, often with fantastic quality fittings worthy of Italian Renaissance jewels, such as the European equivalent work by the Italian master Cellini, but they would be for samurai eager to display their status in the elite hierarchy of the samurai class, such as daimyo. The swords mounted shibui were for the samurai of far more serious nature, dedicated to their more basic standards of bushido, the art of the ultimate warrior, with little or no interest in displays of rank. A samurai of the highest skill but preferring the anonymity of almost being invisible to unwanted attention.

Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu [to stop the spear] exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality. The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they may be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony. 40 inches long overall. 28.5 inch long blade, from tsuba to tip., The blade is in super condition for its age, with just a few wear marks, and pit marks on the mune back edge near the boshi. The saya lacquer has some natural age craking at the base  read more

Code: 24217