Japanese

A Japanese Edo Period Processional or Ceremonial Pole Arm Yari

Set on a very good mother o'pearl decorated haft. With a over lacquered blade cover. A yari on it's pole can range in length from one metre to upwards of six metres (almost 20 feet). The longer hafted versions were called omi no yari while shorter ones were known as mochi yari or tae yari. The longest hafted versions were carried by foot troops (ashigaru), while samurai usually carried a shorter hafted yari. Yari are believed to have been derived from Chinese spears, and while they were present in early Japan's history they did not become popular until the thirteenth century. The original warfare of the bushi was not a thing for "commoners"; it was a ritualized combat usually between two warriors who may challenge each other via horseback archery and sword duels. However, the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 changed Japanese weaponry and warfare. The Mongol-employed Chinese and Korean footmen wielded long pikes, fought in tight formation, and moved in large units to stave off cavalry. Polearms (including naginata and yari) were of much greater military use than swords, due to their much greater range, their lesser weight per unit length (though overall a polearm would be fairly hefty), and their great piercing ability. Swords in a full battle situation were therefore relegated to emergency sidearm status from the Heian through the Muromachi periods. Ceremonial yari were used for parades of Daimyo travelling through regions or traditional public ceremonies in the Edo era. MOP losses to haft.  read more

Code: 19524

A Most Unusual Antique, Ceremonial, Edo Period Samurai's Weapon Representation of a Ninja's Kama, the Hook or Sickle

Haft decorated with fine quality abilone and lacquer with copper bands and traditional knotted string bound base to the abilone inlay. With its original black wrist cord {see photo} A single hand-held piece that is the correct size of the weapon, but higher quality to designate its use by a samurai as a ceremonial ninja weapon, but with a votive hook as opposed to a functional hook. We also show in the gallery a photo of the ninja weapons decorating a samurai tsuba, from an early sword we have. This ideally demonstrates that although the ninja was not thought of as samurai, and certainly their methods frowned upon by the samurai, but their methods and weaponry were still part of samurai art and worn by samurai.

A kama is a ninja weapon of a hook or sickle as a defence against swords, the extended version has a ball and chain called a kusarigama (Japanese: 鎖鎌, lit. "chain-sickle") is a traditional Japanese weapon that consists of a kama (the Japanese equivalent of a sickle or billhook) on a kusari-fundo – a type of metal chain (kusari) with a heavy iron weight (fundo) at the end. The sickle blade has a full tang the same as Yari pole arms, held in position within the handle by two mekugi.

The kusarigama is said to have been developed during the Muromachi period. The art of handling the kusarigama is called kusarigamajutsu.
From the 12th century, until the time of the Tokugawa shogunate, many fighters specialized in the use of the weapon. One of these fighters was Yamada Shinryukan, a man who defeated many swordsmen; he was trapped in a bamboo grove by Araki Mataemon and killed. Yamada did not have enough room in the bamboo grove to swing around the chain of his kusarigama. This weapon was used by the infamous Japanese assassins known as the ninja.

In his Buke Myōmokushō, military historian Hanawa Hokinoichi writes of the ninja:

They travelled in disguise to other territories to judge the situation of the enemy, they would inveigle their way into the midst of the enemy to discover gaps, and enter enemy castles to set them on fire, and carried out assassinations, arriving in secret.
The ninja were stealth soldiers and mercenaries hired mostly by daimyos. Their primary roles were those of espionage and sabotage, although assassinations were also attributed to ninja. In battle, the ninja could also be used to cause confusion amongst the enemy. A degree of psychological warfare in the capturing of enemy banners can be seen illustrated in the Ōu Eikei Gunki, composed between the 16th and 17th centuries:

The warlord Oda Nobunaga's notorious reputation led to several attempts on his life. In 1571, a Kōga ninja and sharpshooter by the name of Sugitani Zenjubō was hired to assassinate Nobunaga. Using two arquebuses, he fired two consecutive shots at Nobunaga, but was unable to inflict mortal injury through Nobunaga's armor. Sugitani managed to escape, but was caught four years later and put to death by torture. In 1573, Manabe Rokurō, a vassal of daimyo Hatano Hideharu, attempted to infiltrate Azuchi Castle and assassinate the sleeping Nobunaga. However, this also ended in failure, and Manabe was forced to commit suicide, after which his body was openly displayed in public. According to a document, the Iranki, when Nobunaga was inspecting Iga province — which his army had devastated — a group of three ninja shot at him with large-caliber firearms. The shots flew wide of Nobunaga, however, and instead killed seven of his surrounding companions.

The first specialized training began in the mid-15th century, when certain samurai families started to focus on covert warfare, including espionage and assassination. Like the samurai, ninja were born into the profession, where traditions were kept in, and passed down through the family. According to Turnbull, the ninja was trained from childhood, as was also common in samurai families. Outside the expected martial art disciplines, a youth studied survival and scouting techniques, as well as information regarding poisons and explosives. Physical training was also important, which involved long distance runs, climbing, stealth methods of walking63 and swimming. A certain degree of knowledge regarding common professions was also required if one was expected to take their form in disguise. Some evidence of medical training can be derived from one account, where an Iga ninja provided first-aid to Ii Naomasa, who was injured by gunfire in the Battle of Sekigahara. Here the ninja reportedly gave Naomasa a "black medicine" meant to stop bleeding.

We show in the gallery a Koto period tsuba (from one of our katana) that is decorated with a ninja’s weapons and his peasants disguise. A peasants jingasa hat, a willow fish basket, a kusarigama and a shikomezue hidden sword stick. We further show in the gallery an early woodblock print of a ninja in hand to hand combat using his identical kasurigama against the katana of a swordsman. Shown gor illustrative purposes only.  read more

Code: 21321

A Sengoku Era Samurai Battle Katana, Koto Period, With An Amazing Blade, & All Original Edo Fittings Circa 1500.

With all original Edo period mounts, the fuchi is of pure gold decoration on dragon over shakudo on a nanako ground see below for the details on nanako-ji, the fuchi of gilt dragon on shakudo on a nanako ground. A very attractive patinated copper tsuba with gold highlights, on the takebori decoration of two samurai kabuto helmets and a pair of abumi samurai stirrups with a background of prunus blossom on a nanako ground. The blade has an amazing hamon, and grain {somewhat akin to woodgrain} in the hada, and the polish is simply beautiful. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga Shogunate. The Sengoku period was named by Japanese historians after the similar but otherwise unrelated Warring States period of China. The era is beautifully depicted in Akira Kurowsawa’s films called Jidaigeki. The Sengoku Period (1467-1568 CE) was a lawless century-long era characterized by rising political instability, turmoil, and warlordism in Japan. During this period, field armies and soldiers rapidly rose in number, reaching tens of thousands of warriors. Many castles in Japan were built during the Sengoku Period as regional leaders and aristocrats alike competed for power and strong regional influence to win the favours of the higher-class Japanese at the time. Kurosawa’s film depiction of Macbeth, Throne of Blood, is set in this era of Japan’s feudal period. Original title 蜘蛛巣城, Kumonosu-jō, lit. 'The Castle of Spider's Web'

This then led to the creation of a more complex system within the military, the armoured infantry known as the ashigaru. Initiated by the collapse of the country’s feudal system during the 1467 Onin War, rival warlords or daimyō, continued to struggle to gain control of Japan until its reunification under Japan’s three “Great Unifiers” –– Nagoya Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa –– thus, bringing the war-stricken era to an end in the siege of Osaka.

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 bu 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 they could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night might be cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow, but that may be part myth.

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.
Some samurai, it has been claimed, 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.

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 articles of sword ornamentation made by the Goto artists were practically all on shakudo grounds with nanako finish; after the emergence of the machibori artisans in the mid-Edo period and the popularity of the newly inspired kozuka, shakudo grounds with nanako finish "became the rage". Nanako finish is probably an evolution and refinement of a very old style finish (which it vaguely resembles); "millet finish", 'awa ishime', which is found on some old armorer tsuba. However, awa ishime consisted of small, round dimples punched into the surface of the ground; on the other hand, nanako is formed by striking the ground with a cup-shaped punch to raise, and project upward from the surface, small semi-hemispheric nipples. Since we find nanako finish on old yamagane grounds, it was in use as early as the Kamakura period. It is note-worthy that a nanako finish on a shakudo ground has been used since the time of the first Goto 1440 - 151 in the mitokoromono, "set of three", for use on formal or ceremonial occasions. Later, shakudo nanako became the regular finish for use by the metal artisans. (deleted repeated sentences) In applying nanako, meticulous and scrupulous care must be used in positioning and striking the "cupping tool" in order to achieve fine, regular, carefully and closely spaced, identical results, row after row. Careless, imprecise and even coarse workmanship can be detected in the nanako of some older works and on "ready made" products, but work of later years, executed with infinite and scrupulous care, are beautiful beyond belief. However, even the finest of execution of nanako finish applied to brass (shinchu) or shibuichi fails to carry the distinct air of refinement and elegance of similar work on shakudo. The very elegance of nanako workmanship reflects not only the extraordinary skills of the Japanese in the execution of minute, detailed work, but also their tremendous patience and artistic inspiration. It is said that blindness of nanako workers at thirty years of age was usual because of the microscopic and meticulous work so carefully and patiently executed. On many old tsuba, pre-dating the period of the Goto, one encounters nanako laid in horizontal or vertical rows; on subsequent work nanako was applied along curved lines conforming to the shape of the tsuba.

In the current photos the saya lacquer appears slightly bruised, these slight marks have been removed and now the urushi lacquer looks perfect. Blade length 26.75 inches, overall in saya 37 inches

Akira Kurowsawa & Jidaigeki


Did you know? the most valuable sword in the world today is a samurai sword, it belongs to an investment fund and has appeared illustrated in the Forbes 400 magazine. It is valued by them at $100 million, it is a tachi from the late Koto period 16th century and unsigned. That sword's blade is now grey and now has no original polish remaining.

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: 24387

A Most Rare & Fabulous Original Antique Japanese Samurai Sword Stick, a Shikomizue 仕込み杖, "Prepared Cane" With A Stunning Cloisonné Form Polychrome Urushi Lacquer Dragon Handle, & Ken Form Mirror Bright Blade With Suguha Hamon

Considering its rarity quality and beauty, this would not have been the sword of a regular samurai, but one of high status and position, possibly a Daimyo clan Lord, or a superior status samurai of high rank and wealth.

Just returned from having the blade superbly professionally cleaned and conserved, that now looks simply stunning.

With a long and most elegant, traditionally made, tamegahane steel blade, this is possibly one of the most beautiful of it's types we have seen in quite some time. The blade design is in the ancient Japanese sword form known as ‘ken’, and single very sharp edged, with a false edge turn back at the kissaki. Ken is the shape of the earliest straight samurai swords in use around 1000 years ago.

The stick is fully and superbly fully lacquered with a top section of a cloisonné multi coloured lacquer design of a dragon. The cane’s haft is covered in a translucent clear cherry wood style urushi lacquer The lacquer work is naturally surface wear aged with light surface marks, yet the blade is near mint. Overall it is a very rare example, in nice condition for its age, with a very rare form of cloisonne work we have never seen before.

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire. called cloisons, however, almost always it is worked in metal and enamel, but this example is extraordinarily rare in that it is achieved with differing colours of urushi lacquer instead of glass, within the cloisons. Very likely made in Ama and Nagoya of Aichi Prefecture

This piece absolutely the same form hidden sword {although with very superior high status decoration} used by the world reknown fictional blind samurai Zatoichi. He does not carry a traditional katana, instead using a very well-made shikomizue (cane sword) just as this sword is. Shikomizue were often straight-edged, lower-quality blades which could not compare with regular katana, but as revealed in Zatoichi's cane sword, his weapon was forged by a master bladesmith and is of superior quality, just like this rare and fine bladed example.

In the 1870's the Meiji Emperor disbanded the fuedal samurai order and banned the wearing of the sword. This created much unrest and rebellion between the samurai and the government, and subsequently some samurai moved to carrying the ‘hidden sword’ called shikomizue. Therefore, via a circuitous route, they still remain armed, but with their katana completely hidden from view. By that way, they felt, at least in part, their traditional samurai honour remained intact. The blade is super quality, far better that a usual shikomizue, in superb polish, with an o-wazamono near razor sharp blade with a near mint edge. The blade is ken, and as typical, very straight.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us

35.25 inches long overall in its saya, just the blade and tsuka 24.25 inches  read more

Code: 25560

A Fabulous, Museum Grade Signed, Antique, Samurai O-Tanto, Shinto Period. All Original Edo Fittings, Goto School. Absolutely Impeccable Blade Showing Fine Original Edo Polish & Displaying It’s Excellent Gunome Hamon. Overall An Incredibly Handsome Sword

A wonderful samurai sword, circa 1760. A large tanto almost wakazashi size. With hard lacquered leather bound tsuka. Shinto period, with a finely signed blade, displaying a superb gunome hamon and fine grain in the hada, and beautiful signed fittings. The signature is in a most unusual form and its translation, is Nishiharima 西播 the place name of Tatsuno 竜野 living in 住 Hyogo Prefecture, Edo period. The possible name of Butsusho {the sho is difficult to read}. The Fuchi is signed Yoshinaga of Mino, he was known for his adept skill of carving flowers, although the blade is also very much in the Mino form, mid Edo period, in the esteemed and much respected opinion of K. Y. In Japan

The fittings are all bronze and hammered with with fine gold, and probably by the much sought after Goto school. Superb kozuka with gold foil and shaudo on a Nanako ground, and a signed blade. It has a very rare style of black textured leather covered saya, with iron and gold kojiri. Gold mimi rimmed bronze tsuba with a nanako ground and numerous gold takebori Shishi {lion dogs}.

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 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 production of the stouter sword guards, or tsuba, was left to other masters. While earlier generations had not signed their work, the Gotō masters in about 1600 began to authenticate the work of their predecessors; the attributions usually were engraved on the backs of the pieces themselves. These attributions bear testimony to the keen interest in early sword fittings as status symbols for high-ranking samurai.
Tanto first began to appear in the Heian period, however these blades lacked artistic qualities and were purely weapons. In the Early Kamakura period high quality tanto with artistic qualities began to appear, and the famous Yoshimitsu (the greatest tanto maker in Japanese history) began his forging. Tanto production increased greatly around the Muromachi period and then dropped off in the Shinto period. Shinto period tanto are quite rare. Tanto were mostly carried by Samurai; commoners did not generally carry them. Women sometimes carried a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi for self defence.It was sometimes worn as the shoto in place of a wakizashi in a daisho, especially on the battlefield. Before the 16th century it was common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi. Shishi (or Jishi) is translated as lion but it can also refer to a deer or dog with magical properties and the power to repel evil spirits. A pair of shishi traditionally stand guard outside the gates of Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, although temples are more often guarded by two Nio protectors. The Shishi (like the Nio) are traditionally depicted in pairs, one with mouth open and one with mouth shut.). Others say the open mouth is to scare off demons, and the closed mouth to shelter and keep in the good spirits. The circular object often shown beneath their feet is the Tama, or sacred Buddhist jewel, a symbol of Buddhist wisdom that brings light to darkness and holds the power to grant wishes. Overall 26.5 inches long, blade 13.75 inches long

With grateful thanks to K.Y. of Japan. Doumo gozaimasu to our ever patient friend, who is always happy to assist us with complex or unusual translations.

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: 25647

A Simply Wonderful Edo Period Samurai Tanto Museum Quality Art-Sword Decorated To The Highest Artistic Standard With Insects, in Carving, Iroe, Taka-zōgan, Zōgan, and Tsuba Inlaid with Hira Zogan with the Imperial Mon of Kiri, Paulownia Leaves

Just returned today after the silk tsuka-ito {hilt binding} has been fully restored and it looks amazing. new photos now added.

Edo period, 17/19th century 1615-1868 with gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), silver, copper, copper-silver alloy (shibuichi) koshirae mounts Fuchi-kashira made of Shibuichi carved and inlaid with shakudō, gold, silver, and copper with the design of insects, butterfly, praying mantis, Suzumushi bell crickets, wasps, and catydid, upon all the fittings
Carving, Iroe, Taka-zōgan, Zōgan. Menuki {beneath the tsuka silk wrapping, of patinated copper cranes in flight.
Fuchi Kashira is a form of Japanese metal fitting of the Japanese sword, which improves the handle’s strength. Fuchi Kashira are a combination of two parts; Fuchi and Kashira. Fuchi was put next to Tsuba (hand-guard), and Kashira was put on the grip bottom. Fuchi Kashira developed not only its practicality but also beauty for the decoration of the Japanese sword.

The tsuba with mon made from kiri, or paulownia leaves is a pair to another one in the Ashmolean museum at Oxford donated from The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba) Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. It is iron, with multi-metal flat inlay (iro-e zōgan and hira-zōgan), in gold, copper, and silver; inlay engraved; ryōhitsu with silver rims; tang-hole traditionally plugged, for snug fitting upon the nakago, with soft copper.
The paulownia crest mon is often associated with the Japanese imperial family. It was used as the official seal of the emperor before the chrysanthemum crest became the primary symbol.
Signifying nobility and honour, historically, the paulownia crest mon was granted to individuals and families by the imperial court as a mark of honour and distinction. It symbolizes high status, nobility, and honour.

Iron kozuka {a small utility knife fitted in the saya pocket} Edo Period, 18th/19th century 1615-1868, hand chiselled, depicting a closeup landscape with small rocks and leaves, in metal inlay, and a central onlaid full relief, takebori, shakudo Suzumushi (bell cricket).

The cricket has been traditionally kept as pets in Japan housed in beautifully decorated cages and carried by their owners. The Suzumushi is well known for its singing and the love of crickets can be found in the many poems written by Japanese poets. One of the great forefathers of haiku Kobayashi Issa (1762-1826) wrote: -
flat on his back,
chirps his last song.
Grasshopper’s song in
moonlight – someone’s
survived the flood.

At the altar
in the chief place,
cries a cricket.
-Issa (Translated by L. Stryk)

Insects in general have been celebrated in Japanese culture for centuries. The Lady Who Loved Insects is a classic story of a caterpillar-collecting lady of the 12th century court; the Tamamushi, or Jewel Beetle Shrine, is a seventh century miniature temple, once shingled with 9,000 iridescent beetle forewings. In old Japanese literature, poems upon insects are to be found by thousands, Daisaburo Okumoto is director of the Fabre Insect Museum. An avid insect collector and a scholar of French literature, he has translated many of Fabre's works. He ascribes the popularity of insects in Japan to national character. It seems like Japanese eyes are like macro lenses and Western eyes are wide-angle, he says. A garden in Versailles, it's very wide and symmetrical. But Japanese gardens are continuous from the room and also very small. We feel calm when we look at small things. The medieval Japanese monk Yoshida Kenko put it this way: “If man were never to fade away like the dews of Adashino, never to vanish like the smoke over Toribeyama, how things would lose their power to move us”

Finest urushi Edo lacquer work saya in black interspersed clear lacquer on abilone shell in a wave pattern.

Blade length, tsuba to tip 11.25 inches, full length in saya 16.75 inches  read more

Code: 25637

Beautiful, Koto, Samurai's Paired Swords Daisho, 425-525 Years Old. Katana and Chisa Katana. Edo Period Koshirae, Ume 'Maeda' 前田氏 Clan Mon Tsubas, 'Pine Needle' & Urushi Lacquer Sayas. The Maeda Clan, Lords of Kaga, One of the Most Powerful in Japa

The daisho’s blades, are both late Koto era, likely made between 1500 to 1600. They are most beautiful Koto period blades, of much elegance, one with its gently undulating notare hamon, the other its suguha hamon.

Both swords have gold and shakudo fushi kashira, one with the handachi form, with kabuto-gane pommel, decorated with gold lines on a nanako ground, the other with a fuchi that has a takebori dragon on a nanako ground, and the kashira is polished carved buffalo horn.
Mounted with a superb, Edo period, original pair of iron round plate sukashi daisho tsuba, with pierced Maeda clan mon of the ume, plum blossom, within both the daito and shoto tsuba. Pierced with the plum blossom mon pattern {with twigs}. used by the samurai connected and serving with the Maeda clan.The Maeda clan (前田氏, Maeda-shi) was a Japanese samurai clan who occupied most of the Hokuriku region of central Honshū from the end of the Sengoku period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The Maeda claimed descent from the Sugawara clan through Sugawara no Kiyotomo and Sugawara no Michizane in the eighth and ninth centuries; however, the line of descent is uncertain. The Maeda rose to prominence as daimyō of Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, which was second only to the Tokugawa clan in kokudaka (land value).

The daisho's tsuba are likely from the Umetada tsuba school of tsuba craftsman, Umetada were the foremost swordsmiths of their day. Their 18th Master, Shigeyoshi I, is said to have made sword-furniture for the Ashikaga Shōgun (end of 14th century), but none of his work is known. Serious study of Umetada sword guards {tsuba} begins with the 25th Master, Miōju, or Shigeyoshi II; {b.1558; d. 1631}. His headquarters, as also those of the succeeding nine Masters, were at Kiōto, but he was invited to several provincial centres and exerted a lasting influence on the local schools.
A branch founded by Naritsugu (c. 1752) worked at Yedo, while various members of the family were active at other centres. The Umetada style in general is a skilful combination of chiselling and incrustation or inlay.

The daisho’s matching sayas are stunning, both with a highly complex decorative design pattern of pine needles laid upon black urushi lacquer, in a seemingly random pattern. But, in reality each pine needle was strategically placed upon them, when creating the decorative finish, with just a single needle, and just one at a time, to give the impression they fell naturally upon the ground from above, from a pine tree. The surface was then lacquered in clear transparent urushi lacquer to create a uniform smooth surface. in the Edo period it would take anything around a year or more to create a samurai sword saya, as the urushi lacquer coating would be anything up to 12 coats deep, and each would take a month to dry as they were made using on natural materials, not modern quick drying synthetic cellulose lacquers as used today.

The samurai's daisho, {his two swords title when carried within his obi} was named as such when his swords were worn together, and it describes the combination of the samurai’s daito and shoto {long mounted sword, and short mounted sword}. In the earlier period of the samurai, a daisho were comprising the matching of his long tachi and much shorter tanto, but in the later period, much more often, it was the matching of a combination of a katana and a wakazashi. However, some samurai may choose an alternative coupling of a katana matched with an o-wakazashi or chisa katana, or, even two chisa katana, but one sword was more usually mounted shorter than the other, despite the blades being of near equal length. This particular daisho that we offer here, is the combination of the latter type, that was specifically advantageous for a samurai trained, as was the famous samurai, Musashi, using a twin-sword combat method, of a sword carried and used together in each hand, simultaneously. For Musashi, this was a combat style that was undefeatable, when combined with his incredible skill.

Using a daisho of near equal length blades was the art of twin sword combat, using two at once in unison, one in each hand, the form as previously mentioned as 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.

Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other. A samurai's daisho were his swords, as worn together, as stated in the Tokugawa edicts. In a samurai family the swords were so revered that they were passed down from generation to generation, from father to son. If the hilt or scabbard wore out or broke, new ones would be fashioned for the all-important blade. The hilt, the tsuba (hand guard), and the scabbard themselves were often great art objects, with fittings sometimes of gold or silver. Often, too, they told a story from Japanese myths. Magnificent specimens of Japanese swords can be seen today in the Tokugawa Art Museum’s collection in Nagoya, Japan.
In creating the sword, a sword craftsman, such as, say, the legendary Masamune, had to surmount a virtual technological impossibility. The blade had to be forged so that it would hold a very sharp edge and yet not break in the ferocity of a duel. To achieve these twin objectives, the sword maker was faced with a considerable metallurgical challenge. Steel that is hard enough to take a sharp edge is brittle. Conversely, steel that will not break is considered soft steel and will not take a keen edge. Japanese sword artisans solved that dilemma in an ingenious way. Four metal bars a soft iron bar to guard against the blade breaking, two hard iron bars to prevent bending and a steel bar to take a sharp cutting edge were all heated at a high temperature, then hammered together into a long, rectangular bar that would become the sword blade. When the swordsmith worked the blade to shape it, the steel took the beginnings of an edge, while the softer metal ensured the blade would not break. This intricate forging process was followed by numerous complex processes culminating in specialist polishing to reveal the blades hamon and to thus create the blade's sharp edge. Inazo Nitobe stated: The swordsmith was not a mere artisan but an inspired artist and his workshop a sanctuary. Daily, he commenced his craft with prayer and purification, or, as the phrase was, the committed his soul and spirit into the forging and tempering of the steel.
Celebrated sword masters in the golden age of the samurai, roughly from the 13th to the 17th centuries, were indeed revered to the status they richly deserved.

Daito sword blade length tsuba to tip 24,5 inches, overall 36.5 inches long in its saya.

Shoto sword blade length tsuba to tip 24.25,
overall 34 inches long in its saya.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, and the same words that are repeated in his book;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords

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: 24085

Wonderful, Original Antique, Japanese Samurai Battle Armour. A Super Pair of Edo Period Samurai Saddle Stirrups, Silver Inlaid & Signed By Yoshihira from Kashu Province. Probably a Daimyo or Seieibushi Samurai of the Maeda Clan, Lords of Kaga

Despite being designed, made and used, for samurai combat and warfare, they can be magnificent works of art in their own right, and created using the finest skills and materials with little or no consideration to the incredible cost involved.
The form of these gorgeous and luxurious stirrups is known traditionally as hato mune (pigeon breast). The stirrups were made in Kashu (now Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture), probably under the patronage of the Maeda clan, lords of Kaga and one of the most powerful families in Japan at the time. This Kaga zougan abumi, is a pair of armoured samurai stirrups, made in iron and of exceptional quality, and bears stunningly beautiful silver inlay of scrolling vines and leaves.

These are truly noteworthy museum grade works of art in their own right. There are a few most similar in the Metropolitan Museum in the USA for example. Absolutely signal examples, perfectly displaying the skill and technical craftsmanship of the highest order, for antique Japanese accoutrements, handmade for a samurai Daimyo clan lord or for a Seieibushi samurai, they were the elite, and the highest ranking of the samurai Made and used as part of his armour saddle fittings, but also for use as much when the samurai was in full armour or in regular daytime wear. The signature, of the maker Yoshihira from Kashu province, is inlaid in pure silver to match the d?cor. Abumi, Japanese stirrups, were used in Japan as early as the 5th century, and were a necessary component along with the Japanese saddle (kura) for the use of horses in warfare. Abumi became the type of stirrup used by the samurai class of feudal Japan Early abumi were flat-bottomed rings of metal-covered wood, similar to European stirrups. The earliest known examples were excavated from tombs. Cup-shaped stirrups (tsubo abumi) that enclosed the front half of the rider's foot eventually replaced the earlier design.

During the Nara period, the base of the stirrup which supported the rider's sole was elongated past the toe cup. This half-tongued style of stirrup (hanshita abumi) remained in use until the late Heian period (794 to 1185) when a new stirrup was developed. The fukuro abumi or musashi abumi had a base that extended the full length of the rider's foot and the right and left sides of the toe cup were removed. The open sides were designed to prevent the rider from catching a foot in the stirrup and being dragged.

The military version of this open-sided stirrup, called the shitanaga abumi, was in use by the middle Heian period. It was thinner, had a deeper toe pocket and an even longer and flatter foot shelf. It is not known why the Japanese developed this unique style of stirrup, but this stirrup stayed in use until European style-stirrups were introduced in the late 19th century. The abumi has a distinctive swan-like shape, curved up and backward at the front so as to bring the loop for the leather strap over the instep and achieve a correct balance. Most of the surviving specimens from this period are made entirely of iron, inlaid with designs of silver or other materials, and covered with lacquer. In some cases, there is an iron rod from the loop to the footplate near the heel to prevent the foot from slipping out. The footplates are occasionally perforated to let out water when crossing rivers, and these types are called suiba abumi. There are also abumi with holes in the front forming sockets for a lance or banner. Seieibushi (Elite Samurai)
Traditionally the highest rank among the samurai, these are highly skilled fully-fledged samurai. Most samurai at the level of Seieibushi take on apprentices or Aonisaibushi-samurai as their disciples.

Kodenbushi (Legendary Samurai)
A highly coveted rank, and often seen as the highest attainable position, with the sole exception of the rank of Shogun. These are samurai of tremendous capability, and are regarded as being of Shogun-level. Kodenbushi are hired to accomplish some of the most dangerous international missions. Samurai of Kodenbushi rank are extremely rare, and there are no more than four in any given country.

Daimyo (Lords)
This title translates to 'Big Name' and is given to the heads of the clan.

Shogun (Military Dictator)
The apex of the samurai, the Shogun is the most prestigious rank possible for a samurai. Shoguns are the leaders of their given district, or country, and are regarded as the most powerful samurai.Beautiful and sophisticated patterns in Kaga zougan have an outstanding, keen feel for designs and such fine expression is supported by the minute methods. The craftsman carves the pattern part on the metallic basis material with a burin (tagane in Japanese), making the bottom wider than the surface (this method is called "ari wo kiru" in Japanese) and inserts and drives in a different metal in the part.
Then, the metallic part for the pattern is pressed and spread inside and does not come off itself. This bonding technology was closely employed especially in Kaga to enable to express variously on the metal for expressive work and gained a high reputation as for the solid work.

Of all the techniques, "Abumi" (stirrup) has been a synonym for Kaga zougan and well known for the scrupulous technique making sure that the metallic parts of Kaga zougan never come off, in addition to its excellent novel designs and beauty.  read more

Code: 23043

A Beautiful Koto-Shinto Period Signed Yasuhiro, in KiiKuni. Antique Samurai Daisho With Rokakku Clan Mon. Traditional Daisho, the Two Swords Of The Samurai, Comprise a Fine Daito Long Sword & Signed Shoto Short Sword. With With Pierced Rokakko Mon

Signed Koto daisho, circa 16th century , with beautiful elegant blades, the saya are very fine, delicate and rare, light ‘cinnabar red’ lacquer, also known as coromandel red {named from the pink petaled flower} urushi lacquer to the saya, often made with the addition of perilla oil. The condition of both saya is very good just a couple of aged surface nicks
The colour created from urushi lacquer mixed with cinnabar was rewarded to them as the most famous warriors of all the samurai clans of Japan, the Li, and the Takeda.
The blades both have superbly beautiful notare hamon, in very good polish
Signed 記伊國住 康廣
Kii Kuni. Jyu Yasu Hiro.
The meaning is Yasuhiro, who lives in KiiKuni.
However, the first word is written as 記. But the better kanji should be 紀. It is impossible to mistake the name of the place where one lives, so one could research that kanji.
This sword was made in the 1500’s to 1600s. There were two generations of Yasuhiro there at that time.

Their clan mon tettsu tsuba have a polished surface finish bevelled towards the edge. Matching daito long sword and shoto short sword tsubas, very finely pierced with the Rokakku samurai clan's crest, the "kamon". The tsuka ito was rebound in cream silk in the post Taisho period, as is very usual due to the wear and natural aging of the Edo period silk tsuka-ito, and the signed cast fuchi kashira, that have a deep takebori design Hiranami style of crashing waves in gilt over metal, and the four gilt and silvered menuki of samurai are all very likely from that same late period.

Founded by Sasaki Yasutsuna of Omi Province in the 13th century, the name Rokkaku was taken from their residence within Kyoto; however, many members of this family continued to be called Sasaki. Over the course of the Muromachi period, members of the clan held the high post of Constable (shugo) of various provinces.
During the Onin War (1467-77), which marked the beginning of the Sengoku period, the clan's Kannonji Castle came under assault. As a consequence of defeat in the field, the clan entered a period of decline.
Like other hard-pressed daimyos, the Rokakku tried to enhance their military position by giving closer attention to improved civil administration within their domain. For instance, in 1549, the Rokakku eliminated a paper merchant's guild in Mino under penalty of confiscation. Then they declared a free market in its place.

The Rokakku were defeated by Oda Nobunaga in 1568 on his march to Kyoto and in 1570 they were absolutely defeated by Shibata Katsuie. During the Edo period, Rokkaku Yoshisuke's descendants were considered a koke clan. Historically, or in a more general context, the term koke may refer to a family of old lineage and distinction. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other. A samurai's daisho were his swords, as worn together, as stated in the Tokugawa edicts. In a samurai family the swords were so revered that they were passed down from generation to generation, from father to son. If the hilt or scabbard wore out or broke, new ones would be fashioned for the all-important blade. The hilt, the tsuba (hand guard), and the scabbard themselves were often great art objects, with fittings sometimes of gold or silver. Often, too, they ?told? a story from Japanese myths. Magnificent specimens of Japanese swords can be seen today in the Tokugawa Art Museum?s collection in Nagoya, Japan.
In creating the sword, a sword craftsman, such as, say, the legendary Masamune, had to surmount a virtual technological impossibility. The blade had to be forged so that it would hold a very sharp edge and yet not break in the ferocity of a duel. To achieve these twin objectives, the sword maker was faced with a considerable metallurgical challenge. Steel that is hard enough to take a sharp edge is brittle. Conversely, steel that will not break is considered soft steel and will not take a keen edge. Japanese sword artisans solved that dilemma in an ingenious way. Four metal bars, a soft iron bar to guard against the blade breaking, two hard iron bars to prevent bending and a steel bar to take a sharp cutting edge were all heated at a high temperature, then hammered together into a long, rectangular bar that would become the sword blade. When the swordsmith worked the blade to shape it, the steel took the beginnings of an edge, while the softer metal ensured the blade would not break. This intricate forging process was followed by numerous complex processes culminating in specialist polishing to reveal the blades hamon and to thus create the blade's sharp edge. Inazo Nitobe stated: 'The swordsmith was not a mere artisan but an inspired artist and his workshop a sanctuary. Daily, he commenced his craft with prayer and purification', or, as the phrase was, 'he committed his soul and spirit into the forging and tempering of the steel.'
Celebrated sword masters in the golden age of the samurai, roughly from the 13th to the 17th centuries, were indeed revered to the status they richly deserved.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, and the same words that are repeated in his book;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords

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: 25536

A Very Beautiful & Incredibly Elegant Koto Katana Art Sword Circa 1500, With Very Fine All Original Edo Koshirae, of Finely Decorated Shakudo, Combined With Exceptional Urushi Lacquer Work. Kashira Decorated with ‘The Monkey Reaching for the Moon’

Very fine original Edo period fittings, mokko gata tsuba and saya. Shakudo fuchi-kashira, decorated with a wonderfully defined little long armed monkey reaching for the moon's reflection in a stream. The long armed monkey is on the kashira, the stream is represented on the fuchi. ‘The Monkey Reaching for the Moon’, fuchi-kashira, depicts a delightful little monkey hanging from a tree branch over the surface of water, reaching down to touch the reflection of the moon. This imagery is undoubtedly derived from a popular Buddhist story that warns how the spiritually unenlightened cannot distinguish between reality and illusion. We very rarely get swords with fittings decorated with the fable of 'the monkey reaching for the moon', but by most unusual good fortune, we have had two this month.

Shakudo and gold menuki of artistically bound reeds, with a fine mokko-shaped Higo school iron tsuba with a raised mimi {edge}, and a black beautiful ishime urushi lacquered saya with matching copper ishime koiguchi, kurikata and kojiri, {scabbard mountings}.

It has a very beautiful 25.25 inch blade, measured tsuba to tip, Typical Koto style and period, an extremely elegant blade with fine graduation, beautiful curvature and iconic Koto form small kissaki It has a superb complex hamon of a choji and crab-claw pattern.

Some provinces of Japan were famous for their contribution to the ishime style of urushi lacquer 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, or as you see, samurai sword saya {scabbards}. 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 labour-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. It is extraordinary that a finest urushi lacquer saya would have taken up to, and over, a year to hand produce, by some of the most finely skilled artisans in the world.

Shakudo {that can be used to make samurai sword mounts and fittings} is a billon of gold and copper (typically 4-10% gold, 96-90% copper) which can be treated to form an indigo/black patina resembling lacquer. Unpatinated shakudo Visually resembles bronze; the dark colour is induced by applying and heating rokusho, a special patination formula.

Shakudo was historically used in Japan to construct or decorate the finest katana fittings such as fuchi-kashira, tsuba, menuki, and kozuka; as well as other small ornaments. When it was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century, it was thought to be previously unknown outside Asia, but recent studies have suggested close similarities to certain decorative alloys used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

The above descriptions show just why the finest Japanese fully mounted swords can be referred to as ‘Art Swords’, not because they were made just to be items of incredible beauty, to admire and revere, but also, as usable, everyday use swords to be worn by highest status samurai and clan lords, that are also statements of the status of the wearer, as well as of the finest beauty and artistic merit. The blade is absolutely beautiful, with just small elements of natural age surface thinning at the top quarter on one side.

Blade 25 inches long tsuba to tip, overall in its saya, 33.6 inches long  read more

Code: 25351