Antique Samurai Helmet Jingasa Set
Period: estimated Late Edo Period
Prime Material: estimated Bamboo
We classify this item as a type of the Jingasa (陣笠). It is usually made from metal or leather, and Ashigaru (足軽, infantry) and low-ranked soldiers wore it. They substituted it for Kabutos (兜, Samurai helmet). Since the tactics of placing infantry on the front lines became the mainstream, it was a primary matter of how the infantry gained high mobility. Therefore, they wore simple armor with minimal functionality to protect themselves, unlike the luxurious armor of high-ranked Samurai warriors. Crests or marks were drawn on the front of the Jingasa to make it a sign for judging each affiliation.
This Jingasa is especially categorized as the Ajiro Jingasa (網代陣笠). Ajiro (網代) refers to a manufacturing method in which bamboo or other material is thinly shaved and woven in alternating directions. Japanese paper and black lacquer seem to have been pasted on top, although some of them are partly peeled off.
In the Edo period, people finally welcomed the times of peace. There was a growing trend towards decorative enjoyment, such as designing weapons and armor or how to wear them. Of course, the Jingasa was also included in this tide. Samurai warriors started using Jingasas as a tool to show the wearer’s identity and family, not as a protective gear for the head. Considering its relatively good condition, we think this Jingasa is also one of these Jingasas. Its inside is colored with vermillion lacquer, and the outside is decorated with family crests. Jingasas, which were produced in that period, have artistic and stylish beauty. A theory says that high-ranked Samurai warriors enjoyed wearing these Jingasas when they went out for business, and some of them even changed Jingasas, adapting it to seasons. We hope you enjoyed the history of the Jingasa and would be attracted to the charm of this work.
Please focus on the front of this Jingasa. You would find a golden crest of abstracted birds is designed. It is a family crest whose motif is a wild goose (雁, Kari). The pattern using the Kari is often called the Karigane (雁金), and this type of family crest is called the Shiri-awase Mitsu-musubi Karigane (尻合せ三つ結び雁金), which is a pattern that three knotted geese are arranged in a butt joint (尻合わせ). Musubi Karigane (結び雁金, knotted goose) is a pattern of a goose with its face facing left and its wings deformed into a circle. The wild goose is a migratory bird that represents autumn. Because of its unique call, it is known as “a bird that carries good luck and good news,” meaning that it carries a message with its ancestors and brings good news. This bird was incorporated into designs for sword mountings as well. And the family crest of geese is said to have been used by many Samurai families because of the stories of loyalty associated with geese in ancient Chinese literature, and because of their beauty as they fly in flocks. We would say this bird motif has been familiar to Japanese people since ancient times.
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