Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Japanese Spear - Hira-sankaku Omi-no-yari

Lee · 10th July 2009, 02:54 PM

While Brimfield is largely a huge flea market - and that is what the township license to sell actually states - a number of decent antique dealers also set up. This particular yari came from the tables of a firm that does estate liquidations out of the New York metropolitan area and their stock ran from modern art to this yari, with much diversity in between. I would not characterize this as having been inexpensive, another collector just before me had rejected it at the price on the basis of being too tired, but I found it to be splendiferous, to borrow a word and feeling from Tim's knobby club thread, and I happened to have enough in my pocket to buy it. I have no idea of its actual cash value - I understand polearms trade at quite a discount to swords - and I do not even care as I like it for what it is, and very much so. I do not recall having seen in person such a long-bladed, short-poled yari before, except in woodblock prints - though I obviously must have stood before many when visiting Japan in the 1970s. Andrew, I agree, and I really like the 'all business' feeling it gives in the hand; M Eley, I too am also most fond of the scabbard. Thank you all for your kind remarks.

Most of my research ended up coming out of the Knutsen's book and from their discussions, I interpret that this yari had two previous lives:

Muromachi: initially a very robust weapon for serious hand-to-hand close combat; the type typically used by samurai (as opposed to foot soldiers who carried the long shafted, short bladed yari). While the condition of the horimono clearly implies that the blade is 'tired', it remains extremely robust and usable for this original purpose. Rich, thank you for responding to my bait, you are correct in your assessment, there is only superficial rusting, discoloration and scuffing (though cracked and faded the scabbard did its job) so this yari will eventually be a candidate for a re-polish.

Edo: now re-polished and redressed as a status indicator or mochi-yari. Spears are disfavored by the Shogunate for use as weapons, but are now occasionally carried by a bearer accompanying a high ranking samurai, for example on the annual parade trips to the Edo court so well remembered in woodblock prints.

A few more photos:

10th July 2009, 02:54 PM	#10
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 888	Splendiferous - yes, for me, that also applies here While Brimfield is largely a huge flea market - and that is what the township license to sell actually states - a number of decent antique dealers also set up. This particular yari came from the tables of a firm that does estate liquidations out of the New York metropolitan area and their stock ran from modern art to this yari, with much diversity in between. I would not characterize this as having been inexpensive, another collector just before me had rejected it at the price on the basis of being too tired, but I found it to be splendiferous, to borrow a word and feeling from Tim's knobby club thread, and I happened to have enough in my pocket to buy it. I have no idea of its actual cash value - I understand polearms trade at quite a discount to swords - and I do not even care as I like it for what it is, and very much so. I do not recall having seen in person such a long-bladed, short-poled yari before, except in woodblock prints - though I obviously must have stood before many when visiting Japan in the 1970s. Andrew, I agree, and I really like the 'all business' feeling it gives in the hand; M Eley, I too am also most fond of the scabbard. Thank you all for your kind remarks. Most of my research ended up coming out of the Knutsen's book and from their discussions, I interpret that this yari had two previous lives: Muromachi: initially a very robust weapon for serious hand-to-hand close combat; the type typically used by samurai (as opposed to foot soldiers who carried the long shafted, short bladed yari). While the condition of the horimono clearly implies that the blade is 'tired', it remains extremely robust and usable for this original purpose. Rich, thank you for responding to my bait, you are correct in your assessment, there is only superficial rusting, discoloration and scuffing (though cracked and faded the scabbard did its job) so this yari will eventually be a candidate for a re-polish. Edo: now re-polished and redressed as a status indicator or mochi-yari. Spears are disfavored by the Shogunate for use as weapons, but are now occasionally carried by a bearer accompanying a high ranking samurai, for example on the annual parade trips to the Edo court so well remembered in woodblock prints. A few more photos: Attached Images