Japanese Military Gear
Throughout the era of the samurai, the types of weapons that warriors were permitted to carry depended on their status and role. Weapon styles, however, kept evolving along with military tactics and legal restrictions.
In early periods foot soldiers wielded lances, while mounted samurai carried bows and arrows, spears, and long swords slung blade-down from the belt. In the Edo period (1615–1868), the slung sword continued to be worn by daimyo and other high-ranking samurai. But the most potent symbol of the samurai during this time was a different type of long sword, one worn tucked blade-up into the belt. It was often paired with a shorter sword, reflecting new methods of swordsmanship. Eventually this pairing became the symbol of samurai status.
Other changes in weaponry included the introduction in the mid-1500s of the matchlock gun; the appearance of firearms resulted in developments in both armor and fortifications. Two paintings in Lee Gallery depict a complex designed to defend against attacks by firearms and other means.
Samurai arms and armor were judged not only on their functionality in war but also for their artistic value. Although usually made for battle, in many eras—especially during the relatively peaceful Edo period (1615–1868)—armor and weapons saw more service as ceremonial and symbolic objects. Much of the military gear shown in this exhibition is marked with the Hosokawa “nine-planet” family crest, a pattern of eight small circles surrounding a larger, central circle.
