#fuchi-kashira

[saganshy62]

A FUCHI-KASHIRA SIGNED MITSUYUKI WITH KAO

Japan, Edo Period (1603-1867)

length 3.5 - 3.8 cm.

Kikuoka School. Of shakudo with gold and silver floral details. Fuchi-mei Mitsuyuki with Kao. Edo period, circa 1750. https://www.czernys.com/a-137/?o=108477

[kultofathena]

Musha Zetsurin Katana with Hidden Kozuka Blade – Dark Red Saya Scabbard

The Musashi Zetsurin Katana has a blade of tempered 1045 high carbon steel and a second hidden blade; a Kozuka knife that discreetly slides into a slot in the scabbard. The sharpened blade is mounted into a wooden grip with a antiqued metal fuchi and kashira hilt components. The black faux rayskin on the grip is overlaid in cord to complete the sword. The sword is matched with a wooden scabbard which is finished in a glossy dark red lacquer and a matched sageo cord. The included Kozuka knife with a sharpened steel blade is a finely detailed utility knife which has its own slot in the scabbard where it can be readily removed for use.

The Zetsurin katana is a cross between a traditional katana and a shirasaya. The detailed metal Fuchi and Kashira portrays the Asahina family crest. The Asahina family was a Japanese clan during the Sengoku period who were known to be fierce warriors who were feared by all their enemies.

[zap-the-raichu-hero]

Oratorio Mail!

A damascus steel Katana.

[Image ID: The saya features a small inscription reading "Taking psycho cut to a new level". The tsuba is gold, featuring shockwaves of varying types. The fuchi has two engravings, one on each side (the electric and psychic type symbols). The ito is a blend of different shades of yellow and brown, the kashira features an engraving of an Alolan Raichu. The final point of interest is the sageo, which is a shocking shade of purple.]

Note reads: "Hope ya like it, kid! -Juniper"

[ @sinnohstruggles ]

//sorry its so long, kinda really got into explaining it ^^"

Thanks, Juniper!

(//OOC, you're good)

[lonita]

My sword

An iaito is an unsharpened blade (sharpened katana are called 'shinken'), generally sandcast of aluminium-zinc alloy (as opposed to a forged carbon steel shinken). They are used primarily for the practice of Iaido. The length of the blade depends on the user's arm length and the style of Iaido they practice. The method of noto (re-sheathing of the blade) is a primary factor in Ryu-related sword length. My style, Muso Shinden Ryu, uses the - to my knowledge - longest blades because of sayabiki - how far back we are pulling the saya during nukitsuke and the start of noto. In a lot of schools/dojos, you aren't allowed to use a shinken in class until you're of a certain rank - third or fourth dan. Because shinken are so hazardous to use, iaito were created to facilitate the study of the art without lopping off body parts. I acquired this sword from Taylor Sensei in Guelph in July of 2016. In so many ways it is not aesthetically what would I would have chosen had I the opportunity to get a custom sword made, but the first time I held it in the dojo, I knew this sword was mine. It felt right. For the detail-oriented - it's 2.45 shaku (about two and a half feet), with dragonfly menuki, vines around the fuchi, and Musashi tsuba. I read somewhere that samurai used to name their swords. I haven't yet come up with a name for this iaito yet, but I figure that someday I'll just know what's right. I need to take some better photos of it. One of these days.

You can get swords with very ornate sword fittings. Mine are fairly simple, except for the dragonfly menuki (the fittings under the handle wrapping - they facilitate grip). Vines on the fuchi, a Musashi tsuba (hand guard), and a very simple tsuka-gashira (pommel).

Update 2020 05 14: Ever pick something up for the first time and just know it's yours? It wasn't until I was talking with a fellow iaidoka a few months ago that I truly noticed something about my sword.

This person uses a very inexpensive shinken despite his rank, and I'd asked him if he ever considered getting a different one. I wish I could recall exactly what he said, but it did make me think about the 'life' marks on my sword. It wasn't until then that I really thought about the tarnish on the kashira, the wear on the ito/maki, the tiny nick in the blade where I accidentally hit one of my dojo mate's blades during class the first couple of weeks I had it. I'd noticed all these things before, but hadn't thought about them.

More significantly to me, though, was the spot on the tsuba worn shiny where my thumb has rested to hold it for the past three years. This sword is showing my life. I actually cannot comprehend acquiring another.

One of these days I'm going to have to find out what sort of hamon that is. I never have.

[wildbeautifuldamned]

FINE JAPANESE EDO IRON GOLD MIXED METAL DRAGON KATANA SWORD HANDLE FUCHI KASHIRA ebay Joanies Fine Estate Treasures

[violetsystems]

Yoshimitsu is a notable smith of the Bizen tradition, particularly during the Muromachi period. The NTHK-NPO Kanteisho certificate attributes this sword to him circa the Kansho era: 1461~1466 (550 years ago).

The katana delights in being ubu (original length) with a classic Bizen gunome choji midare hamon (wavy clove blossom temper line).

Well-made horimono (engravings) of Sankozuka with Gomabashi and Bonji bring good fortune bring character and good fortune to the blade.

It is said that a sword fitted in a red saya (scabbard) is forever sharp and special.

Koshirae (fitting) elements from the Edo-Period include:

Fuchi (collar): Iron and Dragon Gold Takabori (high relief carving)

Kashira (pommel): Crafted from buffalo horn

Menuki (eyelets): In the design of Omodaka (plants growing in paddy fields)

Tsuba (guard) Sukashi (open work) of iron with double Masu (square wooden box traditionally used to measure rice)

Saya (scabbard: Shu (lacquered in red)

[amator-blogosphere]

[zseysword]

Using this little cat fuchi and kashira to match this tsuba is not bad.

[themsleeves]

[fishstickmonkey]

Kashira with a Wasp and Fuchi with Cricket

Japan, no date

silver, gold

the Walters Art Museum

[shinsengumi-archives]

Oishi Kuwajiro’s katana

Here we have an incredibly interesting and historically important sword owned by Oishi Kuwajiro, member of the Shisengumi. Kuwajiro was a known and feared assassin of the Shinsengumi. Oishi was called “Hitokiri Kuwajiro” because of his involvement in many assassinations by the Shisengumi.

This sword has only come to light recently from the descendants of Oishi Kuwajiro in what we will describe as a well used condition. It’s since been restored and certified by the NBTHK. 

The sword is mounted in Shirasaya and also comes with interesting koshirae with the Nozarashi theme on the saya lacquered in crushed shell with makie of skeleton. Tsuba is Iron with skull / Nozarashi motif. Fuchi kashira are shakudo with wave bird and moon motif. The Menuki are in the form of bones in silver. The blade is a well forged mumei Shinshinto Naminohira with a wide Suguha Hamon, Horimono of Skull and Crescent Moon on the ura. The blade is thick and heavy typical Shinshinto style. The Nakago bears an interesting kinzōgan (gold inlay) inscription which reads “Ningen Mukotsu Shingengumi Ōishi Kuwajirō Kore O haku” (人間無骨新撰組大石鍬次郎帯之) ‒ “Humans have no bones, worn by the Shinsengumi Ōishi Kuwajirō”

[see: Glossary of Japanese sword parts]

NBTHK Hozon Certificate Translation

KANTEI-SHO (鑑定書) – APPRAISAL NBTHK Katana, unsigned: Shinshintō Naminohira (新々波平) No 3021478 Bears the kinzōgan (gold inlay) inscription: Ningen Mukotsu Shingengumi Ōishi Kuwajirō Kore O haku (人間無骨新撰組大石鍬次郎帯之) ‒ “Humans have no bones, worn by the Shinsengumi Ōishi Kuwajirō” Nagasa ~ 64.4 cm According to the result of the shinsa committee of our society, we judge this work as authentic and rank it as Hozon Tōken. August 26, 2019 [Foundation] Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, NBTHK (日本美術刀劍保存協會)

Notes on Transfer from family,  Name and Address have not been published in respect and privacy of the family This sword was owned by my great-grandfather Ōishi Kuwajirō and was since handed down within our family. As we are no longer able to properly maintain the sword, we hand it over to Mr. …… On a lucky day in March of 2019 ADDRESS ………. NAME …..  ……. [Seal]

[coolmodelguy]

9/05/2021 MSA Hellbent, Mushi’s Katana. The Sixth Blade. Build Log Seven.

Picture one: Assembly time for the handle. The parts are laid out, the handle, the handle sleeve, the end cap and the handle ornaments. The formal names in Japanese are tsuka, fuchi, kashira, and menuki.

Picture two: The menuki are attached to the handle parts with thick CA glue. This picture shows the left side of the handle where the menuki is attached behind the rear most hole for the assembly wood pegs.

Picture three: Here the right side menuki is glued in place just behind the front hole for the wood pegs. The fuchi gets a menuki glued onto each side.

Pictures four, five and six show the test fitting of all the parts, together for the first time since painting began. Note the darker blue of the hand guard. The light blue I began with was seriously out of place next to the blade and handle wrap colors. When it became that obvious, I mixed an new batch of transparent blue with pearl white and silver highlights. I just kept applying coats of this paint mix until I thought the hand guard color matched the color saturation of the other parts of the sword.

Picture seven: This is the ito-wrap that I chose to use for this sword. I’ve used this before and unlike the cloth versions of ito-wrap, you only get one chance to do this correctly. Any mistaken bend or fold in this material gives it a crinkled look, so one must make sure that all folds and twists are exactly where they are supposed to be.

Picture eight: Here are all the ingredients to wrap this sword handle. The ito-wrap has been cut to length with excess to spare, and the heavy aluminum tape is standing by. For a recap of how I do all of this, look at the three logs on the Demon Slayer Black Katana that immediately precede this log entry.

Pictures nine and ten: The handle wrap is under way. This always takes some time and concentration. I keep a wire tie handy so I can tie off the wrap and give my hands some rest from time to time. There is a lot of hand tightening and tensioning involved at every layer of the wrap, so giving the hands a rest is essential. The final picture nicely shows off the menuki ornamentation on the right side underneath that crisp and shiny cobalt blue ito-wrap.

[kultofathena]

Hanwei Maru Renshu Katana

The Maru Renshu by Hanwei is a sword designed entirely with practical and repetitive cutting practice in mind. Its cost has been made more economical by using simpler, but durable materials for the hilt fittings while keeping the quality of the blade and its tempering fully intact and on par with more expensive 5160 steel cutting swords from Hanwei. This all goes together to create a sword that you can reliably cut and practice with and do so affordably whilst keeping your more premium katana reserved for special occasion.

The blade is through-hardened 5160 high carbon steel. This type of steel, paired with mono-tempering, creates a blade that is a durable cutter. Unlike a differentially-hardened sword this kind of blade is much less likely to take a bend if a poor cut is made – ideal for the cutting beginner or someone who wants a no-frills practical cutting sword. The Maru Renshu has a long bo-hi groove intended to reduce the weight of the sword along its thickest point whilst sacrificing little durability. This groove creates a more audible whoosh when the sword strikes – the variable sound of this Tachikaze sword wind can be used as a tell on the angle of cut to trained ears.

The tsuba, fuchi and kashira hilt fittings are iron and the habaki and seppa are brass. The wooden tsuka grip is paneled with faux rayskin and overlaid with knotted black suede leather tsuka-ito cord. A pair of antiqued brass menuki are wrapped within the folds of the ito. The saya scabbard is black lacquered wood with horn koiguchi and kojiri fittings. It is paired with a red sageo cord and left unknotted so that it is ready for practical wear and use.

[sengokuconversations]

Armor Glossary

Below the “Keep Reading” line is a list of terms relevant to medieval Japanese armor. They can also be read here .

Source:  Art of Armor: Samurai Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection . Yale University Press, 2012. (Remember, you can hit “J” to skip to the next post on your dashboard if needed!)

Armor Glossary

Abumi - a stirrup

Agemaki - ornamental tassel, usually with a large bow and decorative knotting, often of silk

Agemaki no kan - a ring designed to hold an agemaki, often of gilded bronze or silver

Aikuchi - knife style (dagger), in which the blade is slightly curved and has a single cutting edge

Akodanari kabuto - helmet style, literally “melon-shaped helmet”

Aoi - hollyhock, the stylized emblem of which was used by the Tokugawa family

Aori - saddle component, a large rectangular leather panel, which hangs from a kura to protect the horse from the heavy abumi

Asagi iro - braiding of a pale blue color

Asenagashi no ana - mask component, a hole on the bottom side of the chin of a mask, which is designed to funnel away sweat

Ashigaru - company of lightly armed infantry, often armed with basic weapons such as yari or, in later times, firearms such as teppo

Baba - long prepared track, about 260 yards (240 m) in length, used for yabusame

Bagai - horse armor often worn by the horse of samurai on the battlefield as well as in ceremonial processions

Bagu - horse tack, a set of accessories for harnessing a horse to a kura

Bakin - a fabric cover for the back of a horse (similar to a horse blanket)

Bakufu - military government of shogun, literally “tent government”

Bamen - horse armor component, a mask for a horse (chamfron), which is used to protect the front portion of the head

Basen - a saddle pad, used in tandem with a kura 

Buke-warrior class

Bun - poetry and the arts of learning

Bushi - warrior, specifically a professional warrior as opposed to a peasant script, palace guard, or imperial military official; samurai

Bushidou - Way of the Warrior, a philosophy and line of conduct for a samurai

Byoubu - folding screen, often decorative in nature and used in the interior of a home

Chikishi odochi - armor lacing style, in which individual plates are laced in parallel sets of three, often found on a dou

Chirimen - silk fabric (crepe), often used to embellish armor

Chouji midare - literally “clove shapes,” in which the tempering patterns on the surface of a blade resembles clove-shaped waves

Chuusode - medium-sized shoulder guards

Daienzan sujibachi kabuto - helmet style, literally “hemispherical ridged helmet,” in which the bowl takes a hemispherical form with prominent ridges

Daikyuu - how style, specifically a Japanese longbow used by a mounted samurai as a primary weapon; see also yumi

Daimyo - regional warlord, literally “great name,” who comprised the ruling military class of Japan

Daishou - sword grouping, literally “long short,” a pair comprised of a katana and a wakizashi that is traditionally worn by a samurai

Dangaedo - armor style, in which the dou has two different types of lacing

Dansonjohi - a principal tenet of bushidou, in which a woman was expected to obey and make sacrifices for her samurai husband

Dao - sword style (Chinese term), imported to Japan from mainland Asia, in which the blade is straight and has a single cutting edge

Dou - cuirass (chest armor)

Doumaru - armor style, literally “body-wrapping,” in which the dou is made of a single piece and closes with lacing on the right side

Ebira - quiver style, and open box-like type with a simple frame at the back and is worn suspended from the shoulder and attached to a belt

Eboshi - tall cap, worn at the imperial court, often made of lacquered cloth or paper and curving backwards

Eboshi kabuto - helmet style, literally “eboshi helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of an eboshi

Ebonshinari kabuto - see “eboshi kabuto”

Fuchi kashira - sword component (cap and ferrule), a pair of ornamental fittings located at either end of the hilt

Fukigaeshi - helmet component, a turned-back deflector on either side of the visor

Fukurin - decorative edging (rim), often in gilded bronze

Fukurokuju - Daoist god, one of the seven gods of fortune and longevity, often depicted with an abnormally long forehead that, according to Japanese legend, measures more than half his height

Gattari - cuirass component, the top part of a battle-standard holder, which is located on the upper back section of a dou

Gunbai uchiwa - nonfolding war fan

Gunsen - folding war fan

Guruwa - circular neck guard attached to a mask which offers secondary protection for the back of the neck

Gusoku - complete suit of armor, literally “equipment”

Gusoku bitsu - armor box, a storage container for a complete suit of armor, often of wood of lacquered wood

Gyouyou - cuirass component, a protective flap located atop the shoulder straps (fasteners) of the dou to guard the supporting cords underneath

Hachi - helmet component, the helmet bowl itself

Hachimaki - headband, a strip of fabric ties around the head to absorb sweat, which was thought to increase courage and strength

Haidate - thigh protection, often apron-like in appearance

Hakama - pants, designed to be worn independently or under a suit of armor

Hamon - the tempering pattern(s) found along the cutting edge of a blade

Happuri - face protection, popular from the eleventh to fourteenth centuries, which covers the foreheads and sides (cheeks)

Haraate - armor style, the most basic form worn by low-class warriors, in which the dou is made the protect the chest and abdomen alone

Haramaki - armor style, literally “belly wrapping,” one of the first light body armors for early Japanese infantry, in which the dou closes with lacing up the back

Harikake - decorative process, similar to papier-maché, in which paper or leather is combined with lacquer to create a light decorative system

Hasami bako - robe box, a storage container for a robe, often of wood or lacquered wood

Hibiki no ana - helmet component, the four holes in the lower portion of the bowl of a helmet (one in each quadrant), which at one time were used to attach the helmet cord

Hikiawase - the opening edge of a dou

Hineno jikoro - helmet component, a close-fitting neck guard that is shorter on the sides than in the back

Hirazukuri - weapon style, in which a blade has a very straight shape without a ridge

Hitatare - jacket, a special type designed to be worn under a suit of armor in tandem with hakama

Houate - a type of mask protecting the cheeks and chin

Houju no Tama - the Flaming Jewel, a symbol of Buddhist doctrine

Hoko - lance head (spear point)

Honjou - central castle of a daimyo, acting as the principal administrative and defensive stronghold for the entire territory

Honkozane - armor plate style, in which true, individually articulated scales are laced together

Hoshi - protruding nail (rivet), used to secure plates to create the bowl of a helmet

Hoshi kabuto - helmet style, literally “riveted helmet,” in which the bowl displays significant-sized hoshi

Hoshi sujibachi kabuto - helmet style, literally “riveted ridged-bowl helmet,” in which the bowl incorporates significant hoshi and prominent ridges

Hotokedou - armor style, often of heavy construction with riveted plates

Ichimai kabuto - helmet style, literally “single-plate helmet,” in which the bowl is crafted out of one plate of iron

Ichimonji jingasa - helmet style, literally “straight-line war hat,” in which the bowl is shallow with a wide, flaring brim

Igaki - helmet component, the ornamental decoration on the lower edges of the bowl of a helmet

Igi - contoured side bands of a saddletree

Inome - pierced-heart shape, literally “boar's eye,” a motif representative of the eye of a boar and symbolic of the goddess Marishiten

Itamono - solid, flat armor plates

Iyo haidate - apron-like thigh protection made of overlapping scales affixed to a fabric backing

Jinbaori - sleeveless surcoat, literally “war jacket,” offering extra protection from the elements

Jindaiko - war drum, used to signal orders to troops on the battlefield

Jingasa - military hat (helmet), literally “war hat,” simpler than a kabuto in which the bowl is shallow with a wide, flaring brim

Junshi - “suicide by fidelity;” ritual suicide (seppuku) proceeded by a samurai retainer upon the death of his lord

Kabuto - helmet

Kaen kabuto - helmet style, literally “flame helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of a flame

Kagami - literally “mirror,” the cheek piece of a harness, which is often shapes like a pierced disk or trefoil shape

Kagami shihote - saddle component, the loop on the front of a kura, which is designed to attach to a horse harness

Kaji kabuto - helmet style, literally “fire helmet,” worn by a fireman, in which the bowl takes the form similar to a kabuto

Kaji shouzoku - fire cape, literally “fire garment,” a special cloak worn for protection against fires

Kamikaze - divine intervention, literally “divine wind,” often associated with the storms that destroyed the Mongol invasion fleets off the coast of Japan in 1274 and 1281

Kanamono - decorative element on armor, often of gilded bronze

Kanmuri ita - upper plate of a sode

Kaou - stylized signature (monogram, maker's mark, or seal)

Kasa jikoro - helmet component, a wide-spreading neck guard which flares out horizontally

Kashira - sword component, a cap, the decorative element that secures the end of the hilt

Katakiri - chiseling technique resulting in incised grooves resembling brush strokes

Katana - sword style, in which the blade is more than 24 inches (60 cm) in length, is slightly curved, and has a single cutting edge, which is designed to be thrust through a sash with the edge upward, often in tandem with a wakizashi as a daishou

Kawara haidate - style of haidate made with S-shaped pieces that overlap for protection

Kawari kabuto - helmet style, literally “transformed helmet” or “unusual helmet”

Kebiki odoshi - tight and continuous lacing

Keikou - armor style, one of the first body armors that was introduced from mainland Asia, in which the dou is made in separate pieces for the front, back, and sides (each with a short, flaring skirt), constructed of small oblong plates (lamellae) that are laced together with leather or cord

Ken - sword style, in which the blade has a double cutting edge

Keyaki - Japanese zelkova sword

Kiku-chrysanthemum

Kinpaku oshi - Gilding

Kintoki - Japanese folkloric figure, a small child with abnormal strength who performs remarkable feats with a giant axe, which is always shown in equal proportion to him

Kiri - paulownia-leaf heraldic crest

Kirin - Japanese folkloric figure, a powerful mythical creature that is part dragon, part deer, and part horse

Kiseru-smoking pipe

Kittsuke kozane - armor plate style, in which plates are cut at the edge to give the illusion of many small individual scales (sane) laced together

Kiwame fuda - attribution certificate, provided by specialists who authenticate and evaluate art objects, often found with swords and suits of armor

Kofun - ancient chambered mound third tomb, dating from approximately the to seventh centuries

Kougai kanamono - armor component, a horizontal plate with a ring, which is located on the back edge of a sode and used to hold a cord that fastens it to the back of a dou, often in gilded bronze

Koku - standard weight measurement, approximately 330 pounds (150 kg) and estimated to be the amount of rice sufficient to sustain a person for a year, by which the wealth of a daimyo and the stipend of a samurai were calculated

Komanjou jikoro - a slightly curving neck guard

Kon ito - blue braiding

Koshimaki - helmet component, the lowest plate of the hachi to which the neck guard is attached

Koushouzan sujibachi kabuto - helmet style, literally "high-sided ridged helmet," in which the bowl takes a form with high sides with prominent ridges

Kosode - small shoulder guard

Kote-sleeve of armor

Kozane - small scale of armor plate (sane)

Kura-saddle

Kusari - chain mail

Kusari haidate - thigh protection with kusari

Kusazuri - the protective skirt (tassets), comprised of armor plates that hang from the bottom of dou, which is designed to protect the thighs and allow for ease of movement when on foot or horseback

Kutsu-shoes

Kutsuwa - horse bit (snaffle)

Kuwagata - helmet component, frontal ornaments often in the shape of stylized horns

Kuwagata dai - helmet component, supports kuwagata, often ornate

Kyuubi no ita - a plate of armor which guards the gap between the breastplate and the sode and protects the toggle clasp and supporting cord beneath

Lamella - scale of armor (Latin term), a sane, usually of leather or iron

Mabizashi - helmet component, the visor

Machiuke - cuirass component, the bottom part of a battle-standard holder, which is located on the lower back section of a dou

Maedate - helmet component, a frontal crest

Maewa - saddle component, the pommel, which is a flat, inverted, and U-shaped piece at the front of the kura

Makiwari - wood-chopping ax

Makiwarinari kawari kabuto - helmet style, literally “axe-shaped transformed helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of an elaborately shaped ax for chopping wood

Manji - Buddhist symbol of universal harmony, often used in mon

Manjuu Jikoro - helmet component, a wide, rounded neck guard

Marishiten - Buddhist goddess of light and patron of archers, she is associated with the fearlessness of a warrior and often depicted riding a boar

Masakari - war axe

Mei - a swordsmith's signature inscribed on the outside of a nakago

Mekugiana - sword component, a hole in the nakago of a blade, which is drilled by a swordsmith to secure a peg that holds the hilt assembly together

Mengu - face protection

Menpou - half mask (face guard)

Menuki - sword component, ornamental finding on either side of the hilt

Midare hamon - an irregular tempering pattern on the surface of the blade

Mimiito - thick silk braid, often used to lace the out edges of armor plates

Mizunomi no o - literally “water drinking cord,” a strap designed to keep sode in place

Mogami sode - medium-sized shoulder guard

Mogamidou - armor style, in which the dou is made of horizontal plates

Momonari kabuto - helmet style, literally “peach-shaped helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of a peach

Mon - heraldic family crest

Motodori - hairstyle, in which the front part is pulled back and tied into a topknot

Muneita - cuirass component, the top plate of a dou (breastplate)

Murasaki - purple colored lacing

Myouken - Buddhist bodhisattva, guardian of horses and master of the gods inhabiting the seven brightest star of Ursa Major (the Big Dipper)

Nagamaki - pole weapon (glaive), in which a small-size pole arm is combined with a blade that is curved and has a single cutting edge

Nagase - sword component, the side of the blade that is the opposite of the cutting edge

Naginata - pole weapon (glaive), in which a medium-size pole arm is combined with a blade that is curved with a single cutting edge

Nakago - sword component, the tang of the blade that is inserted in the handle

Nanako - chiseling technique, in which small indentations (or bumps) are made with a chisel

Nanban - literally “southern barbarians,” a term used to describe the Westerners who arrived in Japan from the south, or a Japanese object that has been created with foreign influence, especially one inspired by Western art

Naruto kawari kabuto - helmet style, literally “wave-shaped transformed helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of an elaborately shaped wave

Nashiji - lacquering technique, traditionally bearing resemblance to the skin of a pear, in which particles of gold are mixed into the lacquer

Nasuabinari kabuto - helmet style, literally “eggplant-shaped helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of an eggplant

Nihoujiro - double arrow motif

Nimaitachidou - armor style, in which the dou is made of two parts and curves slightly near the waist

Nodowa - secondary throat protection (bib), worn below the primary throat guard of a mask

Nodachi - sword style, in which the blade is so long that is requires the user to carry it slung at the back

Nuinobedou - armor style, in which the dou is made in two parts, hinges together under the left arm, and closes with lacing on the right side

Nunome - metal inlay or damascening, often of gold and silver or alloys thereof

Ouboshi - helmet style, in which the bowl is low and rounded; or a protruding nail (rivet), in which the head is large

Ouboshi hoshibachi kabuto - helmet style, literally “ouboshi riveted helmet,” in which the ouboshi bowl is low and rounded and adorned with protruding rivets (hoshi)

Ouboshi sujibachi kabuto - helmet style, literally “rivet ridged helmet,” in which the bowl takes a form adorned with large rivets (ouboshi) and prominent ridges

Obukuro - the protective cover for a horse's tail, which prevents it from becoming dirty Oda gote - sleeve of armor, in which gourd-shaped plates are attached to the upper and lower arm, often using kusari

Odoshi - lacing, often used in the construction of armor to connect armor plates to one another

Odoshige - cord, often flat silk braid or leather, used in the construction of armor to lace plates together

Oharaidate - helmet component, the frontal crest holder, which is located above the visor

Ouitaragainari kawari kabuto - helmet style, literally “shell-shipped transformed helmet”

Okegawadou - armor style, in which the dou is made in two parts of riveted horizontal plates, hinges under the left arm, and closes with ties on the right side. Resulting in a tube-like shape

Oki tenugui - helmet style, literally “placed towel,” in which the vertical sides and central plates of a kabuto extend backward past the bowl in the manner of a folded towel Oumanjou Jikoro - helmet component, a large, wide, and rounded neck guard

Omodaka - water plantain plant

Omogai - a bridle

Oni - demon, regarded in Japanese folklore as a mischievous and protective force, often depicted as a menacing creature with horns and long wild hair

Orekugi - hooked nail, often applied to each cheekbone of a mask to fasten it to a helmet with a thick cord

Ousode - large shoulder guard

Outateage - large plate to protect the knee, attached to a shin guard

Outateage suneate - shin guard (greave), which also has an oversized plate to protect the knee

Otayori - helmet component, a helmet cord, which is used to secure a mask

Otayori no kugi - mask component, a hook on either side of the chin of a menpou, used as an anchor to an otayori

Ouyoroi - armor style, literally “great armor,” in which the dou is made in two parts out of lamellar sane (laced together with either leather or silk cords), hinges on the left side, closes on the right side

Rasha - dense woolen textile, introduced to Japan by the Portuguese and imported by the Dutch and English

Renjaku - cuirass component, and internal support cord for a dou added to lighten the armor

Ressei - fierce expression

Rinbou - wheel of law, a Buddhist symbol, with the spokes symbolizing the eight objectives that lead to Nirvana (enlightenment)

Rounin - samurai without a lord or master

Sabiji - lacquered surface which mimics the appearance of iron grain

Sabinuri - lacquered surface that imitates the appearance of russet iron, or the application of a lacquer of a russet color

Saburau - literally “to serve the nobility,” and the origin of the word from which samurai is derived

Saihai - military command baton, used to signal troops, composed of multiple strips of paper or leather attached to a wooden handle

Saku - frontier fort, a traditional type constructed by a daimyo to secure a border

Samurai - member of the warrior class, military elite of Japan

Sane - scales or lamellae made of leather or iron from which armor is constructed

Saneita - group of laced sane, often a variable-sized sheet of armor Sanjakugawa - a strap for the bridle (martingale), often covered in leather, which allows for better control of the horse's head by preventing the bridle from slipping over the ears

Sankin koutai - shogunate system, literally “alternate attendance,” in which all daimyo were required to attend the court of the shogun in Edo in alternate years, thereby requiring a daimyo to maintain a residence in the city in addition to his provincial estate

Sashimono - an sometimes element worn on the back of a suit of armor, designed to readily identify individuals, which is often a flag, individual banner, or ornament

Saya - scabbard or sheath

Sendan no ita - cuirass component, the plate of armor located in the right armpit of the dou, which guards the gap between the breastplate and the sode and protects the toggle clasp and supporting cord located there

Sengoku jidai - Warring States period, literally “the age of the country at war,” a period of near-constant local warfare between provincial military leaders in Japan that began in 1467 and lasted nearly a century

Sensei - teacher

Sentoku-copper

Seppuku - suicide, often ritual in nature, achieved by disembowelment

Shakudou - alloy of gold and copper, dark blue or purple in color

Shakudou nanako - application of shakudou over a nanako surface

Shikoro - helmet component, a neck guard

Shingane - sword component, the steel core of a blade

Shino gote - sleeves of armor, style in which strips of armor (splints) are connected with kusari and run down the forearm for extra protection

Shino haidate - thigh protection, style in which plates of armor (splints) are connected with kusari to protect the upper leg

Shino suneate - shin guard (greave), style in which stripes of armor (splints) are connected with kusari and run down the shin to protect the lower leg

Shinogi - sword component, the longitudinal ridge running the length of a blade, which has been hardened by repeated folding

Shinogi zukuri - sword style, in which the blade is long with a longitudinal ridge, is curved, and has a single cutting edge

Shintou - sword style, literally “new sword,” denoting a blade made from the late sixteenth to the late eighteenth century

Shirigai - a strap used to prevent a saddle from shifting on the horse which is designed to be crossed over itself and is sewn into a loop to be slipped under the tail of the horse

Shishi - lion, a protective Shinto and Buddhist figure, and a Japanese symbol of imperial authority

Shitatoji - preliminary leather lacing, which fastens sane scales into a row

Shiten no byou - vestigial rivets, often applied as decoration to the four sides of the bowl of a helmet

Shizuwa - saddle component, the cantle, a flat, inverted, and U-shaped piece at the rear of a kura, which is similar in shape to the maewa, but with the legs curving forward under the rider's thighs

Shogun - military ruler of Japan (dictator), appointed by the emperor

Shouji no ita - cuirass component, an armor piece located in the middle of the shoulders above the watagami of an ouyoroi dou, often of iron and in the shape of a Japanese comb

Sode-shoulder guards

Soumen - full-face mask (face guard)

Sugake odoshi - lacing style using vertical pairs of laces in parallel and crossed positions

Suguha - tempering pattern on the surface of a blade that is straight and wide

Suhama - sandbar, the stylized motif of which is occasionally included in mon

Suji - ridge (flange) along the edge of connected iron plates, as found in a helmet

Suji kabuto - helmet style, literally “ridge helmet,” with prominent iron suji

Sujibachi - helmet component, literally “ridged-bowl,” in which the bowl is ridged with flanges 

Sujibachi kabuto - helmet style, literally “ridged-bowl helmet,” fashioned in the same manner as a suji kabuto

Suneate-shin guard (greeve)

Tachi - sword style, a large type primarily for use on horseback, in which the blade is more than 24 inches (60 cm), is curved, and has a single cutting edge, which is designed to be slung at the side in a sword belt and suspended with the edge downward

Tachidou - armor style, literally “standing cuirass,” a rigid type in which the dou is made in two parts, hinged together under the left arm, and fastens on the right side with a cord

Takenari kabuto - helmet style, literally “bamboo-shaped helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of bamboo

Tameshi - trial test for armor to measure its resistance to impact

Tameshigiri - trial test for new blades, especially those crafted by important sword smiths, in which experts were required to test the cleanness and perfect angle of a sword's cut on materials of varying density

Tankou - armor style, one of the first body armors for early Japanese infantry and linked to Chinese liang-dang armor, in which the dou is constructed of iron bands and triangular plates that are laced together with leather or cord

Tantou - knife style (dagger), in which the blade is less than 12 inches (30 cm) in length, is slightly curved, and has a single cutting edge, often carried ba samurai in tandem with a tachi before the advent of the daishou

Tate eri - cuirass component, a small collar on a dou, often lined with chirimen

Tatehagidou - armor style, in which the dou is made of five parts, each a vertical plate of armor

Tazuna - reins that attach to the kura and are usually made of fabric

Tehen - helmet component, the crown of the bowl (apex)

Tehen ana - helmet component, the opening at the crown of the bowl, through which hair can protrude

Tehen kanamono - helmet component, a decorative ornament at the crown of a helmet

Tekkou - hand protection, a plate over the back of the hand

Tengu - Japanese folkloric figure (with ties to Buddhism), a mischievous creature and protective force, which is depicted with human and birdlike features with a long or beak-like nose

Teppou - matchlock gun, an early firearm used in Japan from the sixteenth century through the Edo period (1603-1868), which has a design based off of imported prototypes

Tokin - headdress, specifically a type worn by the Yamabushi warrior-monks

Tousei gusoku - complete suit of armor, literally “present-day-equipment,” a reference to the newer ouyoroi style which became popular during the sixteenth century

Tsuba - sword component, a sword guard

Tsuboita - cuirass component, a small removable panel of armor which is often oblong in shape and closes the right side of a cuirass

Tsuinari kabuto - helmet style, literally “acorn-shaped helmet,” in which the bowl takes the form of an acorn

Tsujigiri - trial test for a blade, literally “cutting at the crossroads,” in which rounin or samurai tested the cutting properties of a sword on an innocent passerby

Tsuka - sword component, the hilt, which includes the grip and its fitting

Tsurubashiri - protective sheet, literally “bowstring path,” characteristic of ouyoroi armor, made of leather and stretched across the front of a dou to ensure that a bowstring does not catch any of the armored plated below, often decorated with the stenciled designs

Tsurumaki - circular attachment for a quiver which is used to hold a supply of bowstring

Tsutsu gote - sleeves (kote) made with plates that are hinged over the forearm and connected with kusari

Uchidashi - embossing, specifically a technique that results in a sturdy, high-relief surface

Uchimayu - helmet decoration, stylized eyebrows, which are located above the mabizashi

Ura - sword component, the side of the blade that is worn against the body

Ushirodate - a rear crest, designed to readily identify commanders on the battlefield

Utsubo - quiver style, worn sideways across the back

Waidate - cuirass component, the armor for the right side of an ouyoroi dou, which is made of a solid plate of iron and secured with cords to the left side of the body

Wakidate - helmet component, a side crest

Wakizashi - sword style, in which the blade is between 12 and 24 inches (30 and 60 cm) in length, is slightly curved, and has a single cutting edge, which is designed to be thrust through a sash with the edge upward

Warabe tousei gusoku - suit of armor for a boy

Waraji - footwear, often made of woven hemp and included with a suit of armor

Washi-Japanese paper

Watagami - cuirass component, shoulder strap

Ya - bamboo arrow

Yabusame - mounted archery demonstration, ancient in origin and performed in the precincts of shrines as entertainment for the gods, in which a series of riders gallop at full speed with a longbow (yumi or daikyuu) along a track (baba) and attempt to hit three targets with arrows

Yadome - sanding flanges on the cheeks of a mask that protect chin cords

Yamabushi - warrior-monk of the Shugendou sect of Buddhism, often an ascetic hermit dwelling in the mountains

Yanone

Yari - spear, the principal weapon of the infantry that was also often carried in ceremonial processions and used as a standard

Yarisaya - spearhead cover, literally “spear scabbard,” sometimes used as decorative finials

Yasurime - Grooving of Fine, Subtle Parallel Lines

Yawa eboshi - cap, often of soft fabric, used to wrap the hair of a warrior, which protrudes through the hole on the top of a kabuto (tehen ana), simultaneously acts as a cushion beneath it, and keeps the head cool

Yodarekake - throat guard

Yokohagidou - armor style, in which dou is made of flat and wide horizontal plates

Yoroi - literally “armor,” great armor used by mounted archers

Yoroi bitsu - armor box, a storage container for yoroi, often of wood or lacquered wood

Yugake - special leather glove with a reinforced thrush piece, worn by archers on the right hand and only covering the thumb and first two fingers

Yumi - bow, specifically a Japanese longbow made so that the two unequal arms exerted an even pull on the arrow; see also daikyuu

Yumidai-bow holder

Yumitori - archer, literally “bowman,” often synonymous with a warrior

Zaboshi - rivet (protruding nail), often with an ornamental base resembling a chrysanthemum flower 

Zunari - helmet style whose shape conforms to the head

Art of Armor: Samurai Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection . Yale University Press, 2012.tho

[mia-japanese-korean]

(Fuchi-gashira box), Unknown Japanese, late 19th century, Minneapolis Institute of Art: Japanese and Korean Art

lidded oval container decorated with vignettes A matching set of collar (fuchi) and pommel (kashira) sword fittings have been reworked here into a pill box. The layman Kitagawa Sōten (18th century) of Hikone in Omi province made the pair in the late 18th century. Sōten was originally from Kyoto and was first called Hidenori, later using the name Mogarashi (also pronounced Sōheishi). The Sōten school was well-known for employing Chinese motifs on their works that have, like this example, a background of shakudō (copper-gold alloy) with small punched dots (nanako) decorated with copper, silver, and gold high relief inlays (takazōgan). This pair was reworked in the late 19th century into a pill box where the pommel became the lid and the collar the base with a silver capsule inside. Size: 1 1/8 × 1 × 1 1/2 in. (2.86 × 2.54 × 3.81 cm) Medium: Shakudō, silver, copper, and gold

https://collections.artsmia.org/art/116905/

[bm-asian-art]

Two Fuchi, Hilt Collars and Two Kashira, Hilt-Caps for a Daisho, Pair of Swords, early to mid-19th century, Brooklyn Museum: Asian Art

Size: a: 1/2 x 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (1.2 x 2.2 x 3.8 cm) b: 13/16 x 1 7/16 in. (2 x 3.6 cm) c: 1/2 x 13/16 x 1 1/2 in. (1.2 x 2.1 x 3.8 cm) d: 13/16 x 1 3/8 in. (2 x 3.5 cm) Medium: Shakudo, gold, copper

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/120908