Another rarely seen armor piece

[estcrh]

This is a wakibiki, as the picture shows it covers the area around the arm pit that is left exposed when wearing a dou (chest armor). Wakibiki were made from solid plates of armor, or fabric with armor attached to the fabric. Wakibiki along with manju no wa and manchira were commonly used auxiliary armor items that are only rarely seen for sale or exhibited with Samurai armors.

 

 

 

[IanB]

Eric, Nice pair of wakibiki. I have a pair of mail covered ones but you are correct - you don't see many. There is a drawing, in I think Garbutt's article for the Japan Society's journal of a guy putting armour on that shows him wearing a pair of wakibiki before putting on the dou. These must be mail or perhaps kikko. In the case of your plate pair, they must have been worn as you show them, outside the dou otherwise they would have been too uncomfortable. Interesting dou as well.

Ian Bottomley

[estcrh]

Ian, I was wondering just were those toggles would have been attached if they were worn on the outside. I have searched online for pictures and information but not much is out there. Here is a picture of the kind of wakibiki you mentioned, kusari and armor plates sewn to cloth. Maybe this other picture is the drawing you saw, of how a samurai should put on his wakibiki. I think that in the past people just thought these were just not interesting items that just got in the way, like so many other things and they eventually just got thrown out or recycled into something else.

 

 

 

[uwe]

Hi Eric,

nice dou indeed. But where were the two straps of your wakibiki been fastened

Uwe

[IanB]

Uwe, The mail or mail-and-plate wakibiki were soft enough to be tied to the body before putting on the dou. Attached to the two upper corners was a loop of cord that passed over the shoulders, pulling the wakibiki fairly tightly up under the arm and covering the armpit. Cords from the two lower corners on each were then tied together across the chest and back. Clearly the solid plate type couldn't be worn like that and had to be outside the dou. They still have the loop over the shoulder, but needed the lower corners either buttoned to the loops on the dou that normally fastened the waki-ita to the tateage (the plate under the arm to the upright part of the dou over the upper chest and back), or were connected to each other by cords outside the dou. If there was sufficient slack in the system, the plate wakibiki would lift up to protect the armpit as the arm was raised. It seems a bit of a lash-up but I cannot see how else it could be done. This idea of tying things to the armour was in fact quite common. I have a sashimono that takes the form of a pole from the top of which springs a spray of paper and bamboo 'feathers'. There is a hook on the pole near the top for cords that would tie to the shoulder straps to stabilise it. The other bit of gear that was tied in a similar way was the utsubo - the enclosed quiver. These have straps that tied around the waist but this would have been insufficient to keep it at the right angle. Near the top of the closed end is a loop of cord which most seem to think was to hang the thing up with when stored. In fact, a cord was tied to it which passed over the left shoulder and tied to the armour, holding the upper part at the correct angle.

Ian Bottomley

[uwe]

.........Thanks Ian.

Uwe

[Bugyotsuji]

Hmmm... interesting find. I wonder just how common they were. My own experience tells me that there is already too much tied by strings around the neck. The addition of these wakibiki could well have been too much clobber for most people, increasing the time and effort needed to get your armour on. I already dislike the strings for the Kote, and HATE the string for the Nodowa. The cord for the bandolier and the cord for the holster add to the confusion. Sometimes a giant wooden Buddhist rosary necklace goes on top. The two Gyoyo get caught up in the mix. I just cannot imagine adding wakibiki to that lot... :lol:

 

Oh, and the Do is already hard enough to get on and off without asking for help...

[estcrh]

Hmmm... interesting find. I wonder just how common they were. My own experience tells me that there is already too much tied by strings around the neck. The addition of these wakibiki could well have been too much clobber for most people, increasing the time and effort needed to get your armour on. I already dislike the strings for the Kote, and HATE the string for the Nodowa. The cord for the bandolier and the cord for the holster add to the confusion. Sometimes a giant wooden Buddhist rosary necklace goes on top. The two Gyoyo get caught up in the mix. I just cannot imagine adding wakibiki to that lot... :lol:

 

Oh, and the Do is already hard enough to get on and off without asking for help...

Piers, I think that if you were facing the real possibility of being stabbed by an armed samurai with spears etc, having a huge open area around your arm would be a concern and a few extra cords would not have been a big deal. After the era when traditional armor was not being used for protection as much as a show of status and rank these "auxiliary" armor pieces would have been quickly stored away. Older instructions on the correct wearing of armor include these chest area protectors. Here is a print showing the correct way to wear a "manju no wa", another rare armpit and chest protector which along with the "manchira" are rarely seen, and another picture of a plate type wakibiki, this one has no cord for attachment at the bottom, it must have been worn inside the dou.

 

 

[estcrh]

A good quote on the subject of wearing so much stuff..."A true bushi observed the strict rules of etiquette with regard even to the garments worn under his armour, and it was part of his soldierly capacity to be able to bear the great weight of the whole without any loss of activity, though the feat would be impossible to any untrained man of modern days."

[Bugyotsuji]

Nice quote. :lol: Actually I think he was expected not to complain.

 

If I have done 70~100 matchlock demonstrations in full armour in all types of weather, then I have heard from the J public gallery 1,000 times, 'That must be heavy!" or "How much does that weigh altogether?"... And when they ask to hold one of the long guns, a pause as they get a grip on it and then suddenly: "It's heavy!"

[estcrh]

Nice quote. :lol: Actually I think he was expected not to complain.

 

If I have done 70~100 matchlock demonstrations in full armour in all types of weather, then I have heard from the J public gallery 1,000 times, 'That must be heavy!" or "How much does that weigh altogether?"... And when they ask to hold one of the long guns, a pause as they get a grip on it and then suddenly: "It's heavy!"

Piers, have you ever weighed yourself with all your gear including your matchlock and related equipment, the full load so to speak and then subtracted from your normal weight? I would be interested in knowing just how much weight you actually have to carry around. Since your using for the most part the same equipment as in the Edo period it would be a good representative way of calculating what someone from that period would have been lugging around. Of course food, and water and other essentials would have to be added in to the total, I would assume that would be a couple of extra pounds.

[Bugyotsuji]

My suitcase to Portugal was 23 kg, the gun case was 12 kg and my back pack with the San-gu in it must have been another 8kg. I wore as much as I could onto the plane and carried only a minimum of a normal change of clothes. I had no gunpowder or bullets and I left my Horagai Triton shell behind. My sword Koshirae contained only a light wooden Tsunagi. So you must be looking at 35-40 kg before food/water.

[estcrh]

My suitcase to Portugal was 23 kg, the gun case was 12 kg and my back pack with the San-gu in it must have been another 8kg. I wore as much as I could onto the plane and carried only a minimum of a normal change of clothes. I had no gunpowder or bullets and I left my Horagai Triton shell behind. My sword Koshirae contained only a light wooden Tsunagi. So you must be looking at 35-40 kg before food/water.

I do not know the average weight of a man from that time period but that would be a lot of weight for someone to carry now.

 

 

 

Here are a pair of wakibiki worn in the way Ian described, on the outside of the dou.

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Well, there were 脇楯 wakidate, or waidate, and 脇引wakibiki. I am wondering if they were relics from O-yoroi times, which gradually faded out at some time. Meeting someone more knowledgable this evening...

[IanB]

Piers, No, as far as I know these accessories were not worn before the Sengoku. Once again I suspect it comes down to the use of simple yari. Getting a cut with a sword into an armpit would be difficult to say the least, as would thrusting with a sword. Much easier with a yari.

Eric, those beautiful wakibiki, and incidently delightful armour, are the first pair I have seen that can definitely associated with an actual armour. Most, except for the mail ones built into kote, seem to have been bought as accessories. In the same way, kogake for the feet just seem in most cases to be additions that happen to survive with an armour.

Ian Bottomley

[estcrh]

Ian, I forgot to show the link to that armor, your right, really incredible details, from the unique lace to the fine metal work on the smallest fittings, and true scale dou. I have found several armors with wakibiki listed as accessories but since the parts are not shown individually you can not see them as they were hidden inside the dou. You can see also see how they would be among the first pieces of an armor to be lost or misplaced. I think you are right about wakibiki being more of an anti yari armor. Here is that link to the armor.

 

 

http://www.shogunart.com/Gusoku22.html

[IanB]

Eric, A delightful very late armour made for somebody with an awful lot of money. There is a diary written by Miochin Muneyasu, another late Edo armourer, in which he describes making armours like this for wealthy daimyo. You can tell by comparing the prices he charges for his commissions that they were priced out very much on the basis of what the market would stand rather than the actual cost of production. Muneyasu, despite being retained by the Tsuyama clan, did a lot of work for other families as well as running a 'finishing school' for other armourers, taking them on as pupils and teaching them the niceties of armour making. I have one made by an armourer working for the Mori of Nagato who was sent to Muneyasu for 3 years at the age of 19.

Ian

[Bugyotsuji]

What a wonderful suit, Eric. And Ian, you seem to live in a world where few can enter!

 

Nothing to do with anything really but I was at a sword study meeting last Sunday at Tatsuno Jo. (A lovely little hidden-away castle well worth a visit if anyone is in the area). The swords were laid out and we were ready to go when a young chap turned up late and unwrapped a large Katana in Shirasaya and placed it on the end of the line. As I picked it up to admire it, a voice nearby whispered, 'It's gendai.' Every aspect of this katana was perfect. The hamon was beautiful. They removed the tsuka and the Mei was Myochin. The young fellow it turned out was the 53rd Myochin himself in this particular line of Myochin. He is probably the first in his line to make swords; his father is well-known for making Hibashi (iron 'ohashi' for the hibachi). "Wow", I thought, brushing shoulders, "I get to touch a real living Myochin!"

[ironron]

Hmmm... interesting find. I wonder just how common they were. My own experience tells me that there is already too much tied by strings around the neck. The addition of these wakibiki could well have been too much clobber for most people, increasing the time and effort needed to get your armour on. I already dislike the strings for the Kote, and HATE the string for the Nodowa. The cord for the bandolier and the cord for the holster add to the confusion. Sometimes a giant wooden Buddhist rosary necklace goes on top. The two Gyoyo get caught up in the mix. I just cannot imagine adding wakibiki to that lot... :lol:

 

Oh, and the Do is already hard enough to get on and off without asking for help...

 

 

Haven't heard that word Clobber since i was a kid.

[Bugyotsuji]

Oddly enough two versions of the Wakibiki just appeared in Kinokuniya's sales pamphlet this week.

[IanB]

Piers, Yes I saw them. On the point of the Miochin gent you met, here is an interesting finding I made about 8 years ago. I went through Sasama's Katchushi Meikan and listed all the Miochin in there who were supposed to have worked prior to 1600. I cannot remember the grand total but it was about 50 or so. Examples of the work, mainly helmets, were illustrated for only three of these smiths: NOBUIE, YOSHIMICHI and another whose name I have forgotten, but the helmet bowl shown by him was obviously late Edo ( maru bachi with o boshi). On this basis I flagged up a severe doubt about him. Now Yoshimichi (Gitsu) is known to have made helmet bowls used by several prominent people of the Momoyama like Date Masamune so there is no doubt he was around at that period. Trouble is there is absolutely no evidence to associate him with the Miochin - he only ever signed 'Yoshimichi'. It was the Miochin who claimed he was a Miochin. As for Nobuie, there is not a single armour known to be late Muromachi or Momoyama with a Nobuie helmet - nor indeed with any piece signed 'Miochin ...'. There are many many helmets signed 'Nobuie', many dated to the 1530's - 40's but all forming part of Edo period armours. Fairly obvious What was happening I think.

Ian Bottomley

[estcrh]

Oddly enough two versions of the Wakibiki just appeared in Kinikuniya's sales pamphlet this week.

Piers, do you have a link to the pictures, I would like to see them.

[Bugyotsuji]

Well, this is their site, but I can't see the wakibiki here. If I can get some time this weekend I'll go round to my friend's place and photo the pamphlet if you like.

http://www.kinokuniya.tv/en/

[estcrh]

Well, this is their site, but I can't see the wakibiki here. If I can get some time this weekend I'll go round to my friend's place and photo the pamphlet if you like.

http://www.kinokuniya.tv/en/

I know there site but I thought you were referring to an online pamphlet. If you can get some pictures that would be great, there are not many pictures available online to show people and I am trying to find as many different styles and types as I can, thanks.

[Bugyotsuji]

Here we go. Special present for Eric. Are these the pics you saw, Ian? One is the Momoyama single one for archers; the other is probably Edo.

[estcrh]

Piers thanks, thats the first I have seen of either style, like you said they are not pictured on their site.

[estcrh]

Another slightly different type. These are leather or nerigawa kikko wakibiki,

 

[Kevin]

I do not know the average weight of a man from that time period but that would be a lot of weight for someone to carry now.

 

It sounds a lot, but it depends on how it is distributed. If it is distributed well, it doesn't feel that heavy. 40kg is just under 90 pounds, as I recall. I've carried a 100 pound pack camping before now, first time in the Canadian Rockies doing 15-20 miles a day with it at altitude very comfortably, and without trying to push the boat out by yomping across the mountains at speed. Mind you, I was just enjoying the walk and the scenery, so I could afford to be leisurely. :-) I'd guess at that time I was about 154 pounds unladen weight. :-)

 

Thing is, a lot of modern folk aren't terribly fit. OTOH, modern infantry probably carry similar weights or heavier.

 

Kevin