Japanese samurai armor is one of the most recognizable attributes of the medieval history of the Land of the Rising Sun. They differed markedly from the uniforms of European knights. Unique appearance and curious production techniques have been developed over many centuries.
Ancient armor
Samurai armor could not have come out of nowhere. She had an important predecessor prototype - the tank, which was used until the VIII century. Translated from Japanese, this word means “short armor”. The basis of the tank was an iron cuirass, consisting of individual metal strips. Outwardly, she looked like a primitive leather corset. Tanko stayed on the warrior's body due to the characteristic narrowing in the waist.
This armor embodied many of the ideas that were developed in the Middle Ages in the form of classical samurai armor. But there were primitive flaws in the tank. So the design features did not allow to use it in equestrian combat, since sitting on a horse in such a robe was extremely uncomfortable. In addition, this armor lacked leggings.
O-yoy
The originality, which distinguished the armor of the samurai, has developed for many reasons. The paramount thing was the isolation of Japan from the outside world. This civilization developed quite separately, even in relation to its neighbors - China and Korea. A similar feature of Japanese culture was reflected in national weapons and armor.
Classical medieval armor in the Land of the Rising Sun is considered o-roy. This name can be translated as “big armor”. By its design, it belonged to the lamellar (i.e., plastic type). In Japanese, such armor was generally called kozan-do. They were made of intertwined records. As a starting material, thick, hollow leather or iron was used.
Features of lamellar armor
Plates have been the basis of almost all Japanese armor for a very long time. True, this fact did not negate the fact that their production and some of their characteristics changed depending on the date on the calendar. For example, during the classical era of Gempei (end of the 12th century), only large plates were used. They were quadrangles with a length of 6 and a width of 3 centimeters.
13 holes were made in each plate. They were arranged in two vertical rows. The number of holes in each of them was different (6 and 7, respectively), so the upper edge had a characteristic inclined shape. Laces were threaded through holes. They connected among themselves 20-30 plates. Using such simple manipulations, flexible horizontal stripes were obtained. They were coated with a special varnish made from plant juice. Mortar treatment gave the strips additional flexibility that distinguished all of the then armor of the samurai. The laces connecting the plates were traditionally made multi-colored, due to which the armor received a recognizable colorful look.
Cuirass
The main part of the armor was the cuirass. Its design was notable for originality. The horizontal side of the samurai was closed by four rows of plates. These bands almost completely covered the body, leaving a small gap on the back. The design was connected using an all-metal plate. It was fastened with fasteners.
The upper back and chest of the warrior were covered with several more stripes and a metal plate with a characteristic semicircular neckline. It was necessary for free turns of the neck. Leather shoulder pads attached with straps were made separately. Particular attention was paid to places with fasteners. They were the most vulnerable parts of the armor, so they were covered with additional plates.
Skin use
Every metal plate was covered with smoked thick skin. For each uniform, several pieces were made from it, the largest of which covered the entire front of the warrior's body. Such a measure was necessary for the convenience of shooting. When using a bow, the bowstring glided over the armor. The skin did not allow her to touch the protruding plates. Such an accident could be worth a lot during the battle.
The pieces of leather that covered the samurai armor were stained with a stencil. Most often used contrasting blue and red colors. In the Heian era (VIII-XII centuries), drawings could depict geometric (rhombuses) and heraldic (lions) figures. Plant ornaments were also common. During the periods of Kamakura (XII-XIV centuries) and Nambokut (XIV century) Buddhist images and drawings of dragons began to appear. In addition, geometric shapes disappeared.
Another example of how the armor of a samurai evolved is breastplates. During the Heian period, their upper edge acquired an elegant curved shape. Each such metal plate was decorated with gilded copper plates of various shapes (for example, the silhouette of a chrysanthemum could be depicted).
Shoulders and Legguards
The name "big armor" was fixed to the samurai armor of o-ery thanks to the characteristic wide shoulders and legguards. They gave the uniforms an original, with nothing like appearance. Legguards were made from the same horizontal rows of plates (five pieces each). These armor elements were connected to the bibs using pieces of leather covered with patterns. The side gaiters best protected the hips of a samurai sitting in the saddle of a horse. The front and rear were the most mobile, because, otherwise, they could interfere with walking.
The most noticeable and exotic part of Japanese armor was the shoulder pads. They had no analogues anywhere, including in Europe. Historians believe that the shoulder pads appeared as a modification of the shields common in the army of the Yamato state (3rd-7th centuries). They really had a lot in common. In this series, a significant width and flat shape of the shoulder pads can be distinguished. They were high enough and could even injure a person with an active wave of hands. To exclude such cases, the edges of the shoulder pads were made rounded. Thanks to the original design solutions, these parts of the armor were quite mobile despite their false bulky appearance.
Kabuto
Japanese helmets were called kabuto. Its characteristic features were large rivets and a hemispherical cap shape. Samurai armor not only protected its owner, they also had a decorative value. The helmet in this sense was no exception. On its back surface was a copper ring to which a silk bow was hung. For quite a long time, this accessory served as an identification mark on the battlefield. In the 16th century, a banner appeared attached to the back.
A cloak could also join the ring on the helmet. When riding a horse fast, this cape fluttered like a sail. They made it from fabric deliberately bright colors. In order for the helmet to hold securely on the head, the Japanese used special chin straps.
Clothes under the armor
Under armor, warriors traditionally wore a hitatar costume. This camp dress consisted of two parts - wide harem pants and long-sleeved jackets. The clothes had no fasteners; they were tied with the help of laces. Legs below the knees were covered with leggings. They were made of pieces of rectangular fabric sewn along the back surface. Clothing was necessarily decorated with images of birds, flowers and insects.
On the sides of the suit had wide cuts, necessary for free movement. The lowest clothes were underpants and jackets. As in the case of armor, this part of the wardrobe demonstrated social status. The wealthy feudal lords had silk kimonos, while lesser warriors costed cotton kimonos.
Walking armor
If o-yoy was intended primarily for equestrian combat, then another type of armor, d-maru, was used by infantry. Unlike the larger counterpart, it could be worn alone, without help. Originally, Do-Maru appeared as armor used by the servants of the feudal lord. When foot samurai appeared in the Japanese army , they adopted this type of armor.
Do-maru stood out with less rigid weaving of plates. The size of his shoulders also became more modest. It was fastened on the right side, dispensing with an additional plate (previously extremely common). Since this armor was used by infantry, an important part of it was a comfortable skirt for running.
New trends
In the second half of the 15th century, a new era began in the history of Japan - the Sengoku period. At this time, more than ever, the lifestyle of the samurai was radically changing. Innovations could not but affect the armor. First, its transitional version appeared - Mogami-do. He absorbed the features typical of the previous pre-Maru, but differed from them in greater rigidity.
Further progress in military affairs has led to the fact that the samurai armor of the Sengoku era once again raised the bar for the quality and reliability of armor. After the advent of a new type of maru-do, the old do-maru quickly ceased to be popular and received the stigma of useless trinkets.
Maru-do
In 1542, the Japanese became acquainted with firearms. Soon its mass production began. The new weapon proved to be extremely effective in the battle of Nagashino, important for Japanese history, in 1575. Shots of arquebuses by the crowds smashed samurai dressed in lamellar armor made of small plates. It was then that there was a need for a fundamentally new armor.
Soon appeared maru-do according to the European classification belonged to laminar armor. In contrast to the lamellar competitors, it was made of large transverse solid strips. The new armor not only increased the level of reliability, but also retained mobility, so important in battle.
The secret to the success of the maru-do was that the Japanese masters managed to achieve the effect of distributing the weight of the armor. Now she did not squeeze her shoulders. Part of the weight fell on the hips, which made it unusually comfortable to feel in laminar armor. The cuirass, helmet and shoulder pads were improved. The upper chest received enhanced protection. Outwardly, maru-do imitated lamellar armor, that is, it looked like it was made of plates.
Bracers and Leggings
The main armor in both the later and early Middle Ages was supplemented with small details. First of all, it was the bracers that covered the samurai’s hand from the shoulder to the base of the fingers. They were made of thick fabric on which black metal plates were sewn. In the area of the shoulder and forearm, they had an oblong shape, and in the area of the wrist they were made round.
Interestingly, during the use of armor, o-bracers were worn only on the left hand, while the right one remained free for more convenient archery. With the advent of firearms, this need has disappeared. Bracers tightly laced on the inside.
Leggings covered only the front of the leg. At the same time, the leg remained open behind. Leggings consisted of one curved metal plate. Like other parts of the equipment they were decorated with patterns. Usually gilded paint was used, with which horizontal stripes or chrysanthemums were drawn. Japanese greaves were short in length. They reached only the lower edge of the knee. On the leg, these details of the armor were held in place by two tied wide ribbons.
Samurai sword
Blade weapons of Japanese warriors evolved in parallel with armor. His first incarnation was tati. He hung on his belt. For greater safety, the tati was wrapped with a special cloth. The length of his blade was 75 centimeters. This samurai sword was curved.
During the gradual evolution of the Tati in the 15th century, a katana appeared. It was used until the 19th century. A notable feature of the katana was the characteristic hardening line, which appeared due to the use of a unique Japanese forging technique. To close the hilt of this sword, stingray skin was used. She was wrapped in silk ribbon on top. The shape of the katana resembled a European checker, but it was distinguished by a straight and long handle, convenient for a two-handed grip. The sharp end of the blade made it possible to inflict not only cutting but also stabbing blows. In capable hands, such a samurai sword was a formidable weapon.