Yamamichi-gashira armor

[Kiyoshige]

In reading the article about constructing Chinese Sha wen kia armor by Daniel Slone. He made mention of a Japanese version of the armor ( yamamichi-gashira ) . Having looked around for it some I have not found anything on the Japanese version. Can anyone please provide any information about this armor?

Domo arigato

Gengetsu no Kiyoshi

[AJBryant]

Well, something is wrong somewhere. "Yamamichi-gashira" refers to a pattern of alternating shallow and long waves ("yamamichi", or "mountain road") across the top (the "kashira") of the lames on a suit of Japanese armour.

Effingham

[Kiyoshige]

Construction of Chinese mountain pattern armour
by
Daniel Slone
SKA: (Sun Lu-shan)
Shan wen kia, or “mountain pattern
armour” was worn by high ranking officers in
China from at least the Tang (618-907)
through the Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. It
was described by Robinson in Oriental
Armour as a type of scale or lamellar with
pointed heads (but otherwise normally
constructed) similar to the Japanese
yamamichi-gashira, or “mountain-path head”
armour.

This is from the first paragraph of the article. May it could help maybe not? But any help would be appreciated.

Kiyoshi

[Please Delete]

If you read through the first paragraph of his article then I think you will see that although Robinson describes Shan wen kia as being similar to the Japanese yamamichi-gashira style, Mr. Slone believes that it was actually a different armour.

However, I would also note that Mr. Slone makes a rather large leap, claiming to know that shan-wen-kia is the same as the 'Chinese star scale', but doesn't back up this assertion. He also uses '5000 Years of Chinese Costume', which is a dubious source, in my opinion, because most of the work appears to be conjecture about how things might have been constructed that are seeing in painting and sculpture, but for which there are no extant pieces (not everything, but enough). It would also be helpful if he could actually read and display the Chinese characters for this.

While an interesting idea, I wouldn't use this article as evidence of anything--rather I would recommend pursuing the line that Effingham-dono posted and take a look at Japanese armours.

Hmmm... a quick search on the web for 'ŽR“¹“ª' turns up:

members4.tsukaeru.net/ikkai/56.htm -- This is the detail pick from here, described as #56: Eboshi, Tsure(Ren?)-Yamamichi-gashira, shiro-odoshi gusoku (’¹–XŽq˜AŽR“¹“ª”’ˆÐ‹ï‘«)--Eboshi (kabuto) and white-laced armour of linked mountain-road headed (scale/itazane). (Sorry, translation doesn't sound good, but I think it gets the point across).

www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand-Gaien/8702/yougokaisetu01.htm -- This one appears to be a discussion of kozane, and describes different types of yamamichigashira under 'itazane' (board scales--for making the solid boards). Discussing the ita-zane:

ˆÉ—\ŽD“¯—lAŽD“ª‚ÌŒ`ó‚É‚æ‚èAˆê•¶Žš“ªA¬ŽD“ªiØ•tŽDEØ•t·ãŽDjA•½ŽR“¹“ªA˜AŽR“¹“ªA—£ŽR“¹“ª‚È‚Ç‚ª‚ ‚éB

The same as iyozane, the shape of the scale (sane) head can be various shapes such as ichimonji-gashira (straight), kozane-gashira (kiritsuke-zane/kiritsuke-moriage*), hira-yamamichi-gashira (plain mountain-road head), tsure-yamamichi-gashira (linked mountain-road head), and hanare-yamamichi-gashira (divided mountain-road head).

Well, maybe someone else can elaborate further on that. I've got to head out.

*I'm unsure of the pronunciation of some of these characters in this context, so I'm taking my best shot.

[Takeda Sanjuichiro]

I have to agree with Effingham and Ii-dono on this one.

The particular armor in question is a brigandine, (needs a textile foundation to be attached to). If I had to compare it to a Japanese armor it would be more akin to kikko. I have seen a couple of suits made out of this pattern, and the nicest and most durable (but still flexible) utilized the scales in rows of three. From what I discussed with the person who created it, he found a sample in an Australian muesum IIRC. He believes it is probably the same as "star-scale" pattern since in his readings he encountered two persons accounts of a particular general, one person describes the generals armor as a mountain pattern, the other star-scale. Since it was not my area of intrest, I did not ask him his sources for the accounts.

Interestingly from what the gentleman said, this kind of armor might have been perfered by those who could afford it because the scales would not snag on itself, bowstrings or horse tack, since the edges are turned inwards by it's construction. Aside from a snag resistant armor there does not seem to be a reason why this difficult and expensive to produce armor had any advantage over more conventional scales.

[Please Delete]

Takeda-dono, you forget the most important thing: it was expensive and difficult to produce. Some people need no more reason than that.

-Ii

[Takeda Sanjuichiro]

Probably why you only see generals and senior staff wearing the stuff...

[Kiyoshige]

Domo arigato,

I had allready figured it would be a pain to reproduce, but in just looking at it, it looks freaking cool. I have seen one similar set on a Mongolian person, Lord Udatai, made out of leather scales.

Kiyoshi

"Tou wa ichiji no haji, towanu wa matsudai no haji."

"To ask may be a moment's shame, but not to ask and remain ignorant is a lifelong shame."

[Please Delete]

Forgive me, but did you see 'yamamichi-gashira' on a Mongolian persona, or the 'Shan-wen-kia' armour?

-Ii

[Kiyoshige]

'Shan wan kia' armour on a Mongolian persona.