Samurai

Name	Description	Object ID
Miniature Suit of Armor	This miniature samurai suit of armor is part of a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day; now Kodomo no Hi, Children's Day) festival set. The suit of armor consists of seven pieces: the helmet (kabuto), mask, upper body armor, apron, leggings, shoes, and wooden stand. The helmet is made of...	AB 1131 b
Miniature Katana & Shoto	This set of two miniature swords (a katana and a shoto) and sword stand is part of a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day; now Kodomo no Hi, Children's Day) festival set. The longer sword (katana) is positioned on the top rack, while the shoto (shorter sword) is on the...	AB 1131 d
Arrows and Stand	This set of two wooden stands and 32 arrow shafts is part of a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day; now Kodomo no Hi, Children's Day) decorative festival set. Each stand holds 16 arrows (ya) and is hinged, holding nine arrows on one side and seven on the other. The arrow shafts are black with a...	AB 1131 j
Samurai Doll	This doll represents a seated samurai or officer, whose face is painted whitish pink and has glass inset eyes and hair tied up at the top of his head. The doll's facial features are painted, including downturned lips and up-pointed eyebrows. The doll's arms are bent in front at chest...	AB 274
Samurai Horse	This figure of a war horse was likely intended for a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day, now called Kodomo no Hi, Children's Day) festival display. The horse is white with a red silk fringe apron, a floral brocade blanket, black and red lacquered stirrups (one is missing), a red bridle, and purple-and-...	AB 360
Samurai Doll	This warrior doll, depicting the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie, is part of a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day; now Kodomo no Hi, Girls' Day) festival set. The samurai sits mounted on a white horse on a black stand. The samurai is dressed in full armor, a red and gold brocaded...	AB 59-5
Stirrup	This stirrup was originally part of a pair of lacquered wooden stirrups for a samurai's horse. The stirrup is painted with gold ornamentation and has a metal ring at the top to attach to the stirrup leather or strap. Samurai mounts were often heavily armored, with embellished...	AB 60-10 b
Samurai Doll	This doll, likely intended for display during Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day, originally Boys' Day), represents a samurai warrior on a white horse. The figure stands on a black laquered wood base with a painted gold floral motif on the front. The samurai is dressed in full armor...	AB 60-11
Katana Sword	This samurai sword, or katana, has a handle with an inset of ray skin, and at one point had a cord braid attached. The blade itself has a small kissaki (point), and a faint, irregular yakiba pattern, or tempered surface along the blade edge. The sword guard (tsuba...	AB 60-2 c
Shoto Sword	This short samurai sword, or shoto, has a handle covered with ray skin and a fraying black braid. A decorative metal lion is attached to the side of the handle over the braid, and there are embossed dragons on the top of the handle and on the bottom rim where...	AB 60-2 e
Arrowhead	This arrowhead tip (yajiri) is made of steel and is a triangular shape with two cutouts on the tip. The top cutout is circular and the bottom is of a sakura (cherry blossom). It has a short handle to insert into the arrow shaft. It is one of a set of five yajiri....	AB 60-4 g
Samurai Armor	This lacquered and gold-leaf suit of samurai armor with red cording includes: breast- and backplates with panel apron attached; six panels hung from the waist; needlepoint shoulder padding under shoulder straps; two panels between the waist and the knee; a two-toned blue brocade and...	AB 61-1
Kabuto	This helmet, or kabuto, would have been worn by a Japanese foot soldier samurai. The helmet is shallow crowned with a flared brim and is carved from wood. It has a dull finished exterior on which Japanese characters have been carved and painted in gold around the band. A...	AB 61-2
Katana Sword	This samurai sword, called a katana, has a handle covered in ray skin, then wrapped in a braided fabric. The tsuba (sword guard) is made of wood and features a gold inlaid moon on one side and a metal bird attached to the other side among carved flowers. The scabbard...	AB 625
Kaiken Dagger	This kaiken, or dagger, is sharp on one edge and has a wood handle with a bone inlay. There are three nails on each side of the handle joining the wood to the blade, which is fairly rusted with age. A kaiken is an 8-10 inch long, single or double bladed dagger without...	AB 66-19
Tsuba	This oval-shaped, slightly concave tsuba, or sword guard, is made out of ivory. The tsuba is carved in high relief with an image of the boy warrior Kintaro from Japanese folklore fighting a giant carp. The boy stabs the carp with a sword he holds in his right hand. The...	AB 928
Tsuba	This tsuba (sword guard) is made of iron and has four scalloped edges. In the center is a cutout design of peony blossoms and leaves, depicted from both sides on the front and the back. The long central cutout (called the nakago-ana) would hold the blade; the other two cutouts...	AB 955 b
Sword Caps	These four decorative metal caps are for sword hilts. They are oval and feature gilded relief designs. (b) features two old men (peasants) walking, one with a tea kettle over his shoulder, the other with some sort of tool (possible a hoe) carried over his shoulder. (c) features two faces: on...	AB 965 b-e
Mace	This mace with the original spear point has a metal tip and a wooden shaft decorated with red-dyed horsehair. The tin handle has a hollowed bulb. The wooden shaft has many holes that appear to be a result of insects. The horsehair is tied on using a thin cotton cord dyed the same color red....	AB XX 133
Tsuba	This iron tsuba (sword guard) is circular in shape, and each side features a raised-relief image. One side depicts two figures looking at each other beneath pine trees; the figure on the right is standing on a stone stairway and is dressed in feudal clothing while the figure on the...	AB XX 80

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