The Yukinoshita family was from Aizu, a province controlled by the Ashina samurai clan, in north-east Japan. Originally lantern-makers, from 16th century they committed to the study and construction of samurai armor effective against firearms. This drastic change is due to the military activity of...
On a kabuto we can generally see ornaments of various kind, called tatemono (literally "standing things"). Among them, the maedate (front decoration) is probably the most common and it is difficult to imagine a samurai helmet without some kind of rich ornament on front. We can however...
The Myochin school has been the most active family of samurai armor makers. Thank to the wide diffusion of their branches all over Japan, they influenced the art of kabuto and menpo construction during the Edo period. Some of the most important samurai armor makers,...
Before buying a menpo, or japanese samurai mask, it is probably better to know some basic concepts. With the term "menpo" we generally indicate the face protection of the japanese samurai armor. A menpo is generally made of iron, but it is not uncommon to...
The various implements used by samurai commanders to signal orders on the battlefield or to direct troop movements were referred to as jineigu. Among them, the gunbai uchiwa, a fixed fan, was the equipment that was used by generals and daimyō and hence became a...
Collecting guide: Buddhist sculptureImages of the Buddha, who lived in India between the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., originated in North India and present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 1st century A.D. Over the following centuries, sculptural representation of Buddha and the large pantheon of Buddhist...
Five things to know about Momoyama-period art (1573-1615) Toward the end of the 16th century, the successive efforts of three powerful warlords, Oda Nobynaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, finally brought Japan under a single, unified authority after one-hundred years of civil wars and civil disorder.The...
Arts and culture flourished in unprecedented ways during Japan’s Edo period (1615-1868). During this long era of relative peace and stability, innovative painting styles were developed and refined alongside traditional painting schools and practices.Artists selected their subjects from a long-established body of legend, folklore and...
For centuries, Japanese swords have been collected in Japan as highly valuable works of art. Joining aesthetic and practical use, the samurai sword is a unique weapon, similar to no other. The appeal of this blades has never ceased to amaze western collectors as well,...
Understanding a Japanese sword is not an easy task. There are specific aspect that one has to learn to recognise and appreciate. Let's see the main aspects we have to consider when handling an original samurai sword: RespectA Japanese sword has been transmitted from owner to...