Japanese Spear - Hira-sankaku Omi-no-yari

Lee · 9th July 2009, 11:00 AM

The most unexpected things will turn up at the huge Brimfield, MA flea market.

From Roald & Patricia Knutsen's Japanese Spears, I understand this to be a Hira-sankaku (three-sided isosceles cross-section) Omi-no (long bladed) yari (spear).

From the standpoint of the proper Japanese blade collector, I fear this this would be unsigned (yes, I am sure), out of polish, quite tired (as manifested by loss of superfical horimono or engraving on the blade) and in shabby dress. For at least one general ethnographic collector, it remains a marvelous old thing to behold.

I'll speculate mid to late Muromachi for the forging of the blade and later Edo for the mounts and most recent polish. Overall, the whole spear with pole is relatively short, being about 6 feet (~176 cm). The flattened triangular cross-section (2.8 cm wide and 0.8 cm thick in the mid-section) blade has a cutting edge of 52 cm (20.5 inches) and a total length with tang of 127 cm.

Rich · 9th July 2009, 01:01 PM

Lee -

Nice find. I agree with your assessment of the yari - Muromachi period.
Unusual to find them this long. Good piece, not in too bad a shape judging
from your pics.

Rich S

The Japanese Sword Guide
http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm

stekemest · 9th July 2009, 06:51 PM

Great find!! Wish I could find something like that on a flea market.

Andrew · 9th July 2009, 10:30 PM

I really like that, Lee.

Short-hafted/long-bladed spears "do it" for me, somehow.

Rich · 9th July 2009, 10:34 PM

Andrew -

Just a minor clarification. Yari are not spears, they are lances - i.e. not intented
to be thrown.

Rich S

The Japanese Sword Index
http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm

Atlantia · 9th July 2009, 11:18 PM

wow, if that came at a flea market price then OMG, what a lucky day!

Nathaniel · 10th July 2009, 04:36 AM

Nice find! Got to love it when you happen upon something like this in an unexpected place

Definitely a thrill

Thanks for sharing

M ELEY · 10th July 2009, 05:34 AM

I agree with the thrill of getting a bargain and this one takes the cake! I especially love the cover scabbard. Are these referred to as tsuka, as are the sword scabbards? Forgive my ignorance... Very nice piece, though.

Andrew · 10th July 2009, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Andrew -

Just a minor clarification. Yari are not spears, they are lances - i.e. not intented
to be thrown.

Rich S

The Japanese Sword Index
http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm

I understand, thanks. Should have been more precise.

Lee · 10th July 2009, 03:54 PM

While Brimfield is largely a huge flea market - and that is what the township license to sell actually states - a number of decent antique dealers also set up. This particular yari came from the tables of a firm that does estate liquidations out of the New York metropolitan area and their stock ran from modern art to this yari, with much diversity in between. I would not characterize this as having been inexpensive, another collector just before me had rejected it at the price on the basis of being too tired, but I found it to be splendiferous, to borrow a word and feeling from Tim's knobby club thread, and I happened to have enough in my pocket to buy it. I have no idea of its actual cash value - I understand polearms trade at quite a discount to swords - and I do not even care as I like it for what it is, and very much so. I do not recall having seen in person such a long-bladed, short-poled yari before, except in woodblock prints - though I obviously must have stood before many when visiting Japan in the 1970s. Andrew, I agree, and I really like the 'all business' feeling it gives in the hand; M Eley, I too am also most fond of the scabbard. Thank you all for your kind remarks.

Most of my research ended up coming out of the Knutsen's book and from their discussions, I interpret that this yari had two previous lives:

Muromachi: initially a very robust weapon for serious hand-to-hand close combat; the type typically used by samurai (as opposed to foot soldiers who carried the long shafted, short bladed yari). While the condition of the horimono clearly implies that the blade is 'tired', it remains extremely robust and usable for this original purpose. Rich, thank you for responding to my bait, you are correct in your assessment, there is only superficial rusting, discoloration and scuffing (though cracked and faded the scabbard did its job) so this yari will eventually be a candidate for a re-polish.

Edo: now re-polished and redressed as a status indicator or mochi-yari. Spears are disfavored by the Shogunate for use as weapons, but are now occasionally carried by a bearer accompanying a high ranking samurai, for example on the annual parade trips to the Edo court so well remembered in woodblock prints.

A few more photos:

stekemest · 10th July 2009, 08:55 PM

The more or less low quality of the horimono makes me think they were added in the lade edo or meiji era, but I could be wrong.
Great piece, and...

Quote:

I have no idea of its actual cash value (...) and I do not even care as I like it for what it is, and very much so.

...great attitude as well.

9th July 2009, 11:00 AM	#1
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 913	Japanese Spear - Hira-sankaku Omi-no-yari The most unexpected things will turn up at the huge Brimfield, MA flea market. From Roald & Patricia Knutsen's Japanese Spears, I understand this to be a Hira-sankaku (three-sided isosceles cross-section) Omi-no (long bladed) yari (spear). From the standpoint of the proper Japanese blade collector, I fear this this would be unsigned (yes, I am sure), out of polish, quite tired (as manifested by loss of superfical horimono or engraving on the blade) and in shabby dress. For at least one general ethnographic collector, it remains a marvelous old thing to behold. I'll speculate mid to late Muromachi for the forging of the blade and later Edo for the mounts and most recent polish. Overall, the whole spear with pole is relatively short, being about 6 feet (~176 cm). The flattened triangular cross-section (2.8 cm wide and 0.8 cm thick in the mid-section) blade has a cutting edge of 52 cm (20.5 inches) and a total length with tang of 127 cm. Attached Images

10th July 2009, 03:54 PM	#10
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 913	Splendiferous - yes, for me, that also applies here While Brimfield is largely a huge flea market - and that is what the township license to sell actually states - a number of decent antique dealers also set up. This particular yari came from the tables of a firm that does estate liquidations out of the New York metropolitan area and their stock ran from modern art to this yari, with much diversity in between. I would not characterize this as having been inexpensive, another collector just before me had rejected it at the price on the basis of being too tired, but I found it to be splendiferous, to borrow a word and feeling from Tim's knobby club thread, and I happened to have enough in my pocket to buy it. I have no idea of its actual cash value - I understand polearms trade at quite a discount to swords - and I do not even care as I like it for what it is, and very much so. I do not recall having seen in person such a long-bladed, short-poled yari before, except in woodblock prints - though I obviously must have stood before many when visiting Japan in the 1970s. Andrew, I agree, and I really like the 'all business' feeling it gives in the hand; M Eley, I too am also most fond of the scabbard. Thank you all for your kind remarks. Most of my research ended up coming out of the Knutsen's book and from their discussions, I interpret that this yari had two previous lives: Muromachi: initially a very robust weapon for serious hand-to-hand close combat; the type typically used by samurai (as opposed to foot soldiers who carried the long shafted, short bladed yari). While the condition of the horimono clearly implies that the blade is 'tired', it remains extremely robust and usable for this original purpose. Rich, thank you for responding to my bait, you are correct in your assessment, there is only superficial rusting, discoloration and scuffing (though cracked and faded the scabbard did its job) so this yari will eventually be a candidate for a re-polish. Edo: now re-polished and redressed as a status indicator or mochi-yari. Spears are disfavored by the Shogunate for use as weapons, but are now occasionally carried by a bearer accompanying a high ranking samurai, for example on the annual parade trips to the Edo court so well remembered in woodblock prints. A few more photos: Attached Images

9th July 2009, 01:01 PM	#2
Rich Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: comfortably at home, USA Posts: 432	Lee - Nice find. I agree with your assessment of the yari - Muromachi period. Unusual to find them this long. Good piece, not in too bad a shape judging from your pics. Rich S The Japanese Sword Guide http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm

9th July 2009, 06:51 PM	#3
stekemest Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Posts: 182	Great find!! Wish I could find something like that on a flea market.

9th July 2009, 10:30 PM	#4
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	I really like that, Lee. Short-hafted/long-bladed spears "do it" for me, somehow.

9th July 2009, 10:34 PM	#5
Rich Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: comfortably at home, USA Posts: 432	Andrew - Just a minor clarification. Yari are not spears, they are lances - i.e. not intented to be thrown. Rich S The Japanese Sword Index http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm

9th July 2009, 11:18 PM	#6
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	wow, if that came at a flea market price then OMG, what a lucky day!

10th July 2009, 04:36 AM	#7
Nathaniel Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 865	Nice find! Got to love it when you happen upon something like this in an unexpected place Definitely a thrill Thanks for sharing

10th July 2009, 05:34 AM	#8
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,097	I agree with the thrill of getting a bargain and this one takes the cake! I especially love the cover scabbard. Are these referred to as tsuka, as are the sword scabbards? Forgive my ignorance... Very nice piece, though.