Jingasa & Nirayama Jingasa

[Lady Kimiko]

I love the look of the nirayama jingasa, however it is providing difficult to find much information about them. There are leather styles of Jingasa that are cited as being period. Does anyone have information on their construction and history for botht he leather and straw version?



Some interesting thoughts: nihon-no-katchu.proboards.com/thread/348/jingasa?ixzz2YzRoo1Nu=undefined#ixzz30CzVzw4Q

The style (nirayama jingasa) I really like is below, are these period? Is there a period style like these?


Leather style

[worldantiques]

The essay by Ian Bottomley that you posted a link to is the best information on the subject that I know of, other than to look at authentic period prints and or drawings to see the types being worn. I believe that the nirayama jingasa is a late addition to the line up.

Here is a link to a lot of jingasa images.

[worldantiques]

Here is another jingasa essay that has information that might be useful.

About jingasa, by Kelly Schmidt.

JINGASA – A BRIEF HISTORY Jingasa (military hats) may have originated as early as the 12th century as headwear woven from rushes and perhaps worn for hunting or general-purpose use. However, according to written and pictorial evidence, they did not come into common usage until the Sengoku (Warring States) Era (about 1467-1603.)

Earlier samurai tended to fight as individuals, but with the Portuguese came guns and a fundamental change in war tactics necessitating recruitment of large numbers of ashigaru (foot soldiers). Naturally these lower-ranked samurai could not afford expensive kabuto (helmets) so feudal lords prepared large stores of cheap, mass-produced “kashi” (lent) headwear which could be distributed when needed. They were likely simple cones made of iron, leather or even paper, which was lacquered over to provide additional durability and identification.

The Edo Era (1603-1867) saw the unification of all the states under the Tokugawa Shogunate, and thus a long period of peace and artistic flourish began. Lacking battles, samurai took on new roles such as police, firefighters, justices, tax collectors and administrators. Each duty was assigned its own headwear according to strict hierarchical rules. For example, it is said that only justice officials could wear white-topped jingasa. Duties which required riding a horse (likely performed by higher-ranked samurai) gave rise to bowl or head-shaped jingasa (bajo jingasa) with a smaller brim and less wind resistance than the flat jingasa worn for more general-purpose use.

Beyond official duties, samurai embellished their personal jingasa to display their social status, financial means, clan affiliations and of course, personal taste. Take a close look at the workmanship, materials and decoration of a jingasa, and you will see what I mean.

JINGASA CAN BE CATEGORIZED IN MANY WAYS: a)User - nobility, samurai (all levels), rich farmers and merchants, male and female.

b)Function - protection (from enemy and weather), identification, performance of official duties, horseriding, hunting, hawking, leisure, container (washing, eating).

c)Shape - ichimon/hirajingasa (flat and wide; for general duties and sun protection) - bajo/zunari (horse-riding/bowl-shaped, so reduces wind-resistance) - toppai (conical, for fighting only) - Nirayama (like a circle folded in half; light and narrow).

d)Color Top - black (dignified, so most common), brown, vermillion red, gold (only for emperor’s retainers), white (for magistrates?) Blue, green, gray (rare) Bottom- vermillion red (most common), black (for lower rank), gold (for high rank.)

e)Material - dried lacquer* (most common), iron (protective and generally most expensive), leather* (moulded on a form), igusa (river rushes), kami koyori (tightly twisted washi paper strings), bamboo *Note: Many experienced dealers (including those on eBay) mistake dried lacquer and leather jingasa for wood because they ring like wood when knocked upon. Jingasa were rarely made of wood, though the brim might be reinforced by wood or bamboo.

f)Decoration - kamon (family heraldry symbol) or ai-jirushi (fighting kinship mark) - pictures (dragons, dragonflies, centipedes, or other fighting symbols) - tehen no za (crown decoration, usually chrysanthemum-shaped) - agemaki tsuke no kan (a ring on the back for an ornamental bow) - maedate (decoration mounted on front). Rare. - rivets (ornamental or functional) - bear (yak?) hair.

g)Finish - smooth-lacquered, tataki (stippled) lacquer, carved relief?sabi-ji (rust-like raw iron).

Led by my long interest in the samurai, in 1990 I came to live in Himeji, home of the largest samurai castle surviving in original condition today. As a member of a local guide group, I have studied its amazing devices in minute detail, and have enjoyed broadening my knowledge of samurai practices, thinking and lifestyle, as well. During my time here, I have amassed a nice collection of various samurai accoutrements, but jingasa are my special passion. I feel that a jingasa, more than any other samurai possession, expresses its owner’s taste, status and personality. Sometimes even his sense of humor (I have one that spins on the head!!) I have endeavored to put together a collection of unique and rare pieces which are representative of the various attributes listed above.

[Lady Kimiko]

Thank you a ton. What I've picked up as well is that the shape in general did vary widely, particularly for the lower classes because they were often left to create their own hats and add personal flare.

Im going to work on making some straw ones in the near future.