Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Swords and Related (82)

Antique Japanese jingasa (samurai war hat). Carved of wood and lacquered black with many raised plates and upturned rim. This shape of bajo-jingasa was developed to be worn by warriors on horseback. The underside is lacquered black and his metal eyelets intended for cord. Age Edo Age - 19th century

Dimensions: 6 1/2" high x 16 1/4" long x 12 3/8" wide

Antique Japanese uma-jirushi, flag standard for battle. This uma-jirushi is in the shape of a large war sensu (folding war fan). Made of gold and black lacquered paper and lacquered wood. The front and back with round circle motif in alternating gold on black on one side and black on gold on the other. Mounted on a metal stand.

Age: Edo Period (18th century)

Dimensions: 51" high x 25" wide

Japanese antique 15 ken (plates) jingasa hat for a ashigaru foot soldier. Made of iron with large rivets and edged with oxidized silver. Comes with a custom metal stand. The samurai class in feudal Japan, as well as their retainers and footsoldiers (ashigaru), used several types of jingasa made from iron, copper, wood, paper, bamboo, or leather.

Age: Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: 23" high (including stand) x 15 1/4" wide

An antique Japanese Jingasa with gradual domed top with black Urushi and a raised lacquer design of a flying dragon surrounding the top. Underside is red Urushi. Family crest in gold on top and bottom of helmet. Bronze ring Tama Buchi. Worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan, as well as their retainers and foot soldiers.

Age: Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: Jingasa only 17" diameter by 3 1/2" high. Jingasa on stand 21" high by 17" wide by 7" deep.

Antique Japanese pair of armor boxes. Made of kiri (paulownia) wood and lacquered a deep reddish orange color with black details. Iron hardware including carrying handles. The crest is that of two crossing hawk feathers (Takanoha), possibly the crest of the Abe Clan. The Abe Clan (安倍氏, Abe-shi) was a samurai family that was close to the Tokugawa shogunate.

Age: Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: 19 1/2" high x 14 3/4" wide x 14 1/4" deep (each box)

Antique Japanese jingasa (samurai hat) with Ōgi (folding fan) crest. Covered in black lacquer with the mon in gold. The underside is lacquered red and still has remnants of the original silk padding. With a custom metal stand.
The samurai class in feudal Japan, as well as their retainers and footsoldiers (ashigaru), used several types of jingasa made from iron, copper, wood, paper, bamboo, or leather...

Antique Japanese 8 ken (plates) jingasa hat for a ashigaru foot soldier. Made of iron and finished with lacquer. The wear on this helm is consistent with it likely having been worn in battle...

Antique Japanese mixed metal kabuto (samurai helmet) and iron mempo (samurai face guard) mounted on metal stands.
The kabuto is also listed separately as item #1464528. A rare example Japanese zunari kabuto (samurai helmet) made all of iron with a mixed metal (gold & silver) design of a dragon in swirling clouds. The eyes and whiskers of the dragon are inlaid gold and it's body coils all the way around the hachi (dome)...

Antique Japanese long tanegashima matchlock rifle with silver inlay of a water dragon in the clouds. Bronze hardware decorations including a fu-dog and chrysanthemum blossoms. A silver moku-ka mon in two places is that of the Oda clan, a daimyo family which was a strong political force in unifying Japan during the mid 16th century.

Guns were first introduced to Japan during the Sengoku era through the Portuguese in 1543...

Antique Japanese Tanegashima long matchlock rifle. The entirety length of cast iron barrel is decorated with mixed metal inlay of birds and flowers, an unusual motif for a rifle. The gold mon is of the Kobayakawa clan, a powerful samurai clan with close ties to the Mōri family.

Guns were first introduced to Japan during the Sengoku era through the Portuguese in 1543...

Rare Japanese circular jingasa with a gradual domed top, made of iron and decorated with a dragon flying in raised, billowing clouds. The dragon's eyes are of inlaid gold, the rim of the jingasa is bronze and the dome's top has a copper ring tama buchi. The underside is lacquered red. The samurai class in feudal Japan, as well as their retainers and footsoldiers (ashigaru), used several types of jingasa made from iron, copper, wood, paper, bamboo, or leather...

Japanese rare and unusually beautiful short matchlock rifle. The wide iron barrel is inlaid with a dragon in silver with raised golden eyes. The handle is lacquered black and decorated with gold lacquer kuyo (nine-star) mon crest, which was used by more than one family including the Katakura and Matsukura samurai clans. This mon appears again inlaid in silver around the mouth of the rifle. Made by one of the Kunitomo, specialized gunsmiths to the samurai...

Antique Japanese Yokohagi Okegawa Dō samurai armor of the Edo Period (early 19th century). The kabuto (helmet) is of 64 ken plate construction with a dramatic maedate in the form of a dragon fish flanked by cresting waves. As the story tells, the gods took notice of a koi fish who was trying to swim up a waterfall, rewarding its perseverance by changing it into a dragon...

A rare example Japanese zunari kabuto (samurai helmet) made all of iron with a mixed metal (gold & silver) design of a dragon amongst swirling clouds. The eyes and whiskers of the dragon are inlaid gold and it's body coils all the way around the hachi (dome). The mabizashi (visor) is edged in bronze and decorated with more wisps of clouds. The underside of the visor shows traces of original red lacquer. The shikoro (neck guard) has five layers and shows traces of black lacquer...

Antique Japanese gunbai, war fan belonging to a high ranking samurai officer...

Antique Japanese bajo jingasa, lacquered military hat for a high-ranking horseman. Carved of wood with an upturned front rim and rounded dome. Decorated all over with intricate shell inlay in black lacquer. The underside is lacquered red with four hooks for chords. On custom metal stand.
The samurai class in feudal Japan, as well as their retainers and footsoldiers (ashigaru ) used several types of jingasa made from iron, copper, wood, paper, bamboo, or leather and usually treated wit...

A rare pair of Antique Japanese of matching matchlock hand guns. Iron barrels with hand inlaid with silver and gold dragons. The dai stock is of a hardwood and brass jiita arquebus's firing mechanism, sakura ramrod intact. With custom antiqued bronze stands for display.

Age: 18th century

Dimensions: 21" long each

A rare example of a Japanese bamen, samurai horse mask. Hand carved of wood to resemble the face of a dragon, this bamen was worn to express the power and prestige of the horse's owner. Custom fabricated antiqued bronze finish, ready to be enjoyed.

Age: Mid to late Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: 11 1/2" high (14" high on metal stand) x 6" wide x 7" deep

Antique Japanese samurai's shiko ebira, open type of quiver for carrying arrows (ya). Finely made of carved wood with iron fittings and lacquer finish. Decorated with gold mon on a black lacquer ground. Comes with a set of 5 arrows and displayed on a custom fabricated bronze stand. Kyudo (the art of archery) was practiced in battle and in hunting.

Age: Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: including stand: 40 1/2" high x 8 1/2" wide x 4 1/2" deep

Japanese antique samurai kura horse saddle. Carved of wood and lacquered with a fan motif in gold makie lacquer on a nashiji ground with inlay shell design on the maewa (front arched plate) as well as the shizuwa (rear arched plate). The maewa and shizuwa are connected by two igi (contoured side bands) which are decorated with shell inlay on a black lacquer ground. The igi rest on either side of the horse's spine and serve as the under frame for the leather seat (basen or kura tsubo) and are s...

Japanese antique samurai kura horse saddle. Carved of wood and lacquered black with shell inlay covering the maewa (front arched plate) as well as the shizuwa (rear arched plate). The maewa and shizuwa are connected by two igi (contoured side bands). The igi rest on either side of the horse's spine and serve as the under frame for the leather seat (basen or kura tsubo) and are slotted for stirrup straps (chikara-gawa or gekiso) to pass through. Obscured signature on the bottom. Mounted on cust...

An antique Samurai ammunition box made entirely of Hinoki (Cypress) wood. All original hand forged iron hardware with beautiful aged patina acquired over more than a century and a half of time. Family crest of the original owner as seen on the top of the piece. Hinged lid opens to the storage area below.

Age: Edo Period (1800-1850)

Dimensions: 23 1/2" Wide by 6" High by 11 1/2 Deep

Antique Japanese ozutsu tanegashima matchlock rifle with intricate silver and gold inlay of a dragon in swirling clouds. This wide cast iron barrel is further decorated with a three character mark and the crest of the Tokugawa shogunate. The black lacquered wooden handle has brass fittings and several gold lacquer Tokugawa mon. This type of ozutsu (hand canon) was used on ships for protection against pirates, on horseback, and as assault weapons to blast through doors. Often bales of rice had...

Antique Japanese long tanegashima matchlock rifle with intricate silver and gold inlay of a dragon in swirling clouds. The cast iron barrel is further decorated with a five character mark and the crest of the Tokugawa shogunate. The burl wood handle is set with elaborate brass work incised with designs of a rabbit, bamboo, flowers and birds.

The underside of the barrel has a maker's inscription that reads:
摂州堺之住
野田長右衛門作
Work of Noda Chо̄em...

An antique Japanese bellow (called Fuigo) made of Suginoki (Cryptomeria) wood. Used by sword makers and metal craftsmen to blow air into a Kama to increase the temperature of the fire.

Age: Meiji Era (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 19 3/4" Wide by 11 1/2" High by 6 3/4" Deep

Antique Japanese large tsuba (samurai sword hand guard). Cast in iron with an intentionally uneven surface to suggest a sandy beach or rock and further decorated with mixed metal inlay in the form of a variety of sea shells. Shakudo and gilt copper stand out against the dark iron. With collector's kiri wood box.

Age: Edo Period (1603 - 1867)

Dimensions: 3 5/8" x 3 1/2"

Antique Japanese iron tsuba (samurai sword hand guard) decorated on both sides with cresting waves. Unusual octagonal form and detail to each wave.

Age: Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: 2 3/4" wide

Antique Japanese iron tsuba (sword hand guard) decorated with mixed metal gold and silver inlay. One side show a scene of a small dog playing with a grass hopper amidst grasses and flowers. In the distance are mountains topped with gold. The reverse side is signed by the maker and shows a scene of a small sleeping dog curled up in the bamboo by a stream.

Age: Late Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: 3" long x 2 7/8" wide

A very rare example of an Antique Japanese iron samurai chest armor (dou) with Fudo Myo-o. Made in the five plate, four hinge go-mai chest armor sendai or yukinoshita style. On the breastplate, Fudo Myo-o, one of the five myo-o or Lords of Light stands with sword in hands, the flames of his nimbus swirling around him as he stands on churning waves. Fudo is a fitting subject for samurai armor as his name means "the unmovable or unshakable one". With his fierce appearance he guards the Law of...

A Mounted Antique Japanese jingasa, samurai's hat. Lacquered a deep brown color with a pattern of armor pieces cross stitched together and decorated with gold double agehonocho (swallowtail butterfly) crest of the Taira clan (also called Heike clan). The underside is lacquered red and it comes with a custom metal stand.

The Taira (or Heike) samurai clan of Hitachi Provence and Ise Provence was one of 4 of the most influential families in Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura an...

Antique Japanese jingasa (samuai's hat). Overlapping panels similar to that of a samurai's movable armor and embellished with metal spikes. Lacquered a brownish black with three distinctive Myoga (ginger) kamon of the Nabeshima clan in gold lacquer. The underside is lacquered red. Comes with a custom metal stand.

The Nabeshima clan of Hizen Province controlled Saga Domain from the late Sengoku period through the Edo period. A cadet branch of the Shoni clan, Nabeshima clan descende...

Antique Japanese lacquer jingasa, samurai's hat. Round rim with a gradually pointed top. Lacquered black and decorated with a design of 3 flying cranes in swirling clouds and with a Narabi-ya (double arrows) mon in raised gold lacquer.

The samurai class in feudal Japan, as well as their retainers and footsoldiers (ashigaru), used several types of jingasa made from iron, copper, wood, paper, bamboo, or leather. Kasa shares its etymology with the Japanese word for "umbrella" (which is a...

Antique Japanese circular jingasa with a gradually pointed top. Textured to simulate leather and lacquered a bronze color with red and gold lacquer on the underside. The raised, carved lacquer kikusui (chrysanthemum and water) mon is covered in gold leaf. The Kikusui mon was used by Masashige Kusunoki, a samurai lord who helped overthrow the Kamakura Shogunate. Kusunoki was loyal to the Emperor Godaigo and was awarded the use of the Kiku mon which he personalized to create this Kikusui mon. ...

An exempliary Japanese 18th century Edo Period Myochin school iron somen (full facial armor). Constructed in three sections producing a very expressive fearsome face. The stylized curled eyebrows, bulging eyes, forehead wrinkles repouse in high relief.
The bulbous noise and upper lip is riveted on. The mouth section has two large rings on the cheeks and is hinged to the upper face portion. The chin has two cord pegs. The sides have iron coverings to protect he ears. The mustache is ...

Antique pair of Japanese menuki. These small but detailed elements of a traditional samurai sword were originally made to hide the pins (mekugi) that hold the back end of the blade (tang) to the hilt (tsuka). Made in pairs, they were positioned on either side of the handle. These menuki are especially fine and depict two men, likely sages by their long hair. Probably they are the friends, Kanzan (the Zen poet) and Jittoku (a servant at a monastery). They are made of bronze and mixed meta...

Antique Japanese uma-jirushi, flag standard for battle. This uma-jirushi is a large inverted gourd surrounded by smaller gourds. The great daimyo, Hideyoshi Toyotomi (famous for being the second unifier of Japan) made the upside down gourd his uma-jirushi symbol. A large upside down gourd was placed on top of his flag pole and smaller gourds were added around it with each victory. Called "Sen nari hisago" or "thousand gourds". The gourd also symbolizes the 7 Lucky Gods, good luck, good...