The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-27
JAPANESE WEAPONS.

| In the Detroit Museum of Art is an interesting caollection of war imple-
 ments of Old Japan. The collection was
 made by MT Frederick Stearns in Ja-
 pan some fifteen years ago, when com paratively few tourists from this quar-
 ter of the world visited that country. and when Japanese cities were surfeit-
 ed with the implements which were sup
 planted in 1870 by the introduction of
 modern methods of warfare and the
 abolition of the feudal system.
 Two complete suits of armor are in
 the collection. One of these dates from
 the sixteenth century; the other is of
 more modern date, but exactly like 1t in
 all its parts. A complete suit of armor
 as worn by the Japanese soldiers of the
 higher class previous to 1870 consists of
 helmet, chain mail in parts and breast
 armor, together with two hip pieces.
 Chain mail pantaloons, lined with silk
 brocade, protect the thighs. They are worn under the hip pieces. An iron
 mask covers in some cases the entire visage, in others only the nose, cheeks and chin, allowing the eyes to be uncov-
 cred, and these are protected by the | broad helmet. The shoulders are pro- | tected by two pieces with fine bronze open-work mountings. Upon these are
 fittings In which in battles a small flag
 is fastened bearing the crest or mono gram of the wearer Chain armor
 sleeves protect the arms. The back Of the hand is protected by embossed iron.
 A body piece covers the chest and back,
 held together by tyings of heavy silk green braid. In the back of this are | two sockets for the banner pole. The
 helmet is made of heavy lacquered iron.
 Two crests branch from the front in a moon-shaped manner, and between them bronze disk representing the
 sun. A pair of sandals completes the outfit. This armor is exceedingly heavy and looks impregnable to such weapons as were used.
 The lance and bow were noble weap- ons, but the sword outranked them. A sword with the Japanese in feudal times
 was them ost important of all weapons in war and for personal use, Iyeyasu, who was the first great Shogun of Tok- ugawa, 161O-16So, termed the sword,
 ''The Soul of the Samural." To him it
 was the most important of his posses l sions.
 1 Upon this weapon the Japanese law ished all the resources of their art. The forging of the blade became a high art,
 and it's experts won great honor and fame; the making of famed blade was | a subject of mediation and prayer, upon | 1.~ ,n ha 1a querer's skill; to the guard and other metal mountings were given an infinite variety of lessons from nature and her creatures, and from religious and sym
 bolic legends. The higher classes wore two, and the children of these classes
 commenced early in youth to wear
 wooden ones. The proper use of the sword was made part of the system of education. and the ceremonies att
 tending its use in everyday life were
 most elaborate and minute.
 | The abolution of the Shogunate in
 1868 was soon followed by decree
 abolishing the wearing of the sword; l hence, there came into disuse hundreds of thousands of beautifully decorated
 weapons, which have been distributed
 all over the world by purchasing tour l ists, and thousands, deprived of their ornaments, have been converted into
 more peaceful forms, such as knives, tools, etc.
 l A time was in Japan when a mans | station could be determined by the
 sword he wore at his side. A person
 magnificently garbed with an ordinary
 weapon would be adjudged of low de-
 gree. while a poorly dressed person l wearing fine sword would be extended
 distinguished homage. A fortune was invested in arms. A rich noble often
 possessed fifteen hundred swords, some of them costing fourteen hundred dol lars, and the dainlios vied with each other in owning elegant. specimens of the armorers craft All the metal work of Japan, the beautiful designs, and ex- quisite hammerings, are due to the many wars. The ornamentation of the
 guard and swords accessories have been the craze of tourists and collectors for thirty years.
 The most important parts of Japa- nese sword are: The tsuba or guard, a flat piece of metal usually circular or oval in form, performed by a triangular aperture for the admission of the blade
 At either side are one or more openings ! for the Judgement of two other accesso- ries, called the kodzuka or small dagger and the kogal or skewer. The guards are usually entire in design. A fish, serpents, a horse, mountain landscape and many other features of nature are l introduced into the design of these sword guards. The handles of the small dagger and the skewers are also exquisitely decorated with inlaid moth er-of-pearl in design or wrought images in the metal itself. Crabs, Holsters, serpents and dragons enter very largely into their decorations of the dagger. The skewer usually has upon it's handle some pattern or model, corresponding in some way with the crest or monogram of the owner. Its use is three-fold to the soldier. Sometimes he takes it from it's place and puts it in his hair to hold it in place. Tn camp it is often used as a chop stick by him. In battle he uses it to stick in the body of a dead adver- sary as sign of ownership. The small ornaments on the side of the hilt and the cap or pommel which covers the end of the hilt are, though very small as perfect in design as only the delft fingers of the Japanese and their pa