Luc T

Does someone know who we can contact from the Usa token societies? There must be important armor-collectors in the States, not?

I think I am older...

sorry, the picture was a bit small

Our 2019 Yearbook received very good critics from our members, who got it for free as a reward for their loyal membership. Also this year, there are some very interesting and even indispensable articles for the serious armor collector. *Robert Burawoy: Ichiro and Ryotaro Fukutake, "the encouter with a contemporary armourer" *Jan Petterson: "the Yonezawa Matchlock" *Takemura Masao: "Momonari kabuto; their Cronology and local characteristics". … and more information about the Katchu-world. We still have some spare copies, so we are offering them now to non JAS members for the price of 50€ plus shipping 5€ please mail us to order: Jas@Japanese-armor.org

I would also say meiji. But a good quality tourist or boys festival product. It is a copy of a kamakura era kabuto, the archaic but heroic era of the samurai.

Brian, I have a vintage flyer somewhere from this firm, I will post it when I find it. They started working for the movie-companies in Japan. The interest for the samurai increased in the seventies and eighties, more and more people wanted a kind of 'relic' from this culture. Some of those movie prop katchushi were really good, and became famous., One of them, Ototsugu, was even listed in Sasama's Shin Katchushi Meikan. His work is sold for millions of Yen nowadays.

Indeed, this is a modern armor. Made by a company that started making movie props for Kurosawa and co in the 70-80’.

That’s why I think that the nomenclature is a not so important and subjective. It changes over the years, and this evolution is still going on. It is more interesting to know where to situate the item in time and region. On the other hand, the ‘hour of the dog’ is a poetic description.

John, the applications, or kirigane have a long history. Your kabuto looks like an edo , west Japanese item. The school? Only a few schools used kirigane, and according the style of the hachi, I think you have a nice Haruta helmet in your collection.

Not cheap, but a very interestin sword indeed! Good luck!

Indeed, mr Peter Janssens museum becomes the Mekka for samurai-arts here in Europe. It does me thinking on the huge collections, founded by some nobles at the end of the 19th century. I can only recommend it.

Thanks for sharing Bazza. Most of those tombs are found on Kyushu. But the state of preservation is really exeptional.

DTI is indeed a great event, and also an opportunity to meet armor and sword people. Unfortunately, I can't make it this time, but our NKBKHK an JAS promotion booth will be present.

Thanks for this very interestin explanation Malcolm. I’ve learned something! Obrigado

Arigato gentlemen ( comes from the portugese word obrigado, thanks)

We are happy to announce another interesting exhibition. the Japanese Armor Society helped the museum with the research of some unknown but true Treasures from their collection. "A Striking story | Portugal - Japan - 16th-20th Centuries " Exhibition at Galeria D. Luís | Palácio Nacional da Ajuda 30th November to 26th March Thurdays to Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. By means of screens, lacquers, cartography, armors, among other rare and fascinating objects, some exhibited for the first time, this exhibition tells the story of the encounter and reunion between Portugal and Japan over five centuries. A story manifest by astonishment and wonder but also by the distrust, with moments of approach, of quarrels, cut of relations and diplomacy. A story which tells as much by the written documentation, as by the material culture, the language, the exchange of the scientific knowledge, the art and the religion. The exhibition will be open to the public from November 30, 2018 to March 26, 2019, with a catalog in Portuguese and English of 173 pages, with scientific texts, chronology and color images. "A Striking Story. Portugal-Japan Centuries XVI-XX" presents items from private collectors and from public and private institutions, Portuguese and Japanese.

For those who forgot, the topic is about the NKBKHK magazine. Having different meanings is a part of our society. Handeling this with respect is the message

Two of our Japanese Armor Society members organised this nice exhibition in the iconic town of Rocamadour, France Thanks to Gregg Riffi and Xavier Durand. http://www.carcassonne.org/manifestations/samourai-art-et-symbolisme-du-japon

The good news is, once you have a scientific proof, you know 100% sure what you have.

I once bought a kofun armor, with full description of the finding place, pictures and so on. At a certain moment, I became suspicious, the armor was almost better than the ones in the National Museum of Tokyo... Scientific examination discovered that the russet was made with a modern chemical product.... The Japanese seller with a golden reputation took it back.. me happy and I learned a lot!

there exist lab's for this: https://www.kotalla.de/?lang=en I examinate all my old stuff. The results are sometimes not really what the story behind it tells.

I never intended to call Ian a plagiazer, everybody has to rely on someones discoveries and studies. And indeed, Ian do mention them on every occasion. So I am sure that Ian respect them. I just want Ian to know that these sensei are a part of the shinsa. If this is misunderstood, my deepest apologies Ian. My point is that the shinsa takes it’s responsability not light. And that the members ( i now exclude myself). are authorities on their field. Ian deserves respect for his research, so do these Japanese sensei.

One more thing. There are two reasons to bring an item on the shinsa: The owner want to learn something about the item Or The owner want to sell the item and knows he can ask more if it is papered by the NKBKHK. The first group has no problem with an open ukebari. The second group, well it depends on the item if you know what I mean.

Ian, when a kabuto comes on the shinsa, we are not allowed to open the ukebari if it is closed. I see that most suspicious kabuto have a closed but recent ukebari. In many cases the item is not judgeable. So last year, most of these kabuto were withdrawn from the shinsa. In the case of Saotome, it is really not necessary to open the ukebari. They are easy to recognise from the outside. And that was how Orikasa sensei tested me time after time. I can tell you he sees it faster than you can count. About the ‘expertise’, i notice that your essays and lectures are very often based on several shinsa members their studies. They are stong Ian, do not underestimate them. About this particular helmet, I agree with your opinion about the school.

hi all, I see this old post now, maybe I can help and explain something. In 2017 I was invited to watch the shinsa live, and since last year I have the honour to be a NKBKHK shinsa jury member. Judging these items is not always easy, there is more info about swords available than there is about armor. And yes, also for swords, there are discussions and different opinions. Therefore, the shinsa only gives an estimated age, and a quotation about the historical value of the item. I can testify that the judging happens very seriously and based on true knowledge, provided by the leading experts in Japan. And also we are learning every day. I see a certain evolution in Japan to provide more information about the items, but this needs more time. We (the Japanese Armor Society, this is the western branch of the NKBKHK) are preparing a shinsa in the west, under the supervision of the Japanese jury-members. the plan is to do more research in advance and to give more information IF possible. I hope this gave you a little bit more insight about the NKBKHK Shinsa papers.