Age: Yuan Period Late 1300's to early 1400's
Provenance: The Shogun Art Collection
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$23,567 usd
Including shipping, insurance and appraisal
Remarks: Remarkably rare and highly unusual this historic piece presents the only example of its type that we have ever seen other than the few known examples in museums. This beautiful piece was most likely taken as a "war trophy" on the battlefield during one of the Mongol Invasions of Japan. This piece was remounted with a shikoro to be worn by a Samurai of a high ranking, possibly a Daimyo. The state of preservation is unlike anything some members of the Japanese Armor society had ever seen.
Mongolian armor, like its Chinese counterpart, has a long history. Mongolian armor drew its influence from Chinese and Middle east styles. Most Mongolian armor was of scale and lamellar variety. Most armor was made of hardened leather and iron, laced together onto a fabric backing, sometimes silk. Mail armor was also sometimes used, but was rare, because mail didn't offer very much protection against powerful bows that the Mongols used. Mongol archers demanded the armor to be light enough so that when riding, it didn't interfere with their mobility.
Genghis Khan was once said to have issued all his horsemen with silk vests, as an arrow hitting silk does not break it but ends up embedded in the flesh wrapped in silk, allowing the arrow to be removed by gently teasing the silk open, as opposed to the usual method of removing barbed arrows, cutting them out or pushing then right through an injured limb and out of the other side.
Kublai Khan 1215-1294
After consolidating his rule in China, Kublai Khan sent envoys to demand tribute from Japan, and he threatened reprisals if the Japanese did not. From the palace at Kyoto the Japanese answered, claiming as other rulers did that their nation had divine origins. Therefore, they argued, Japan was not to be subject to anyone, and they began preparing a defense. Kublai believed that he could not permit the appearance of Japan defying him. In 1274, from southern Korea, he launched an assault - a Mongol, Chinese and Korean force - with 600 to 900 ships, 23,000 troops, catapults, combustible missiles, bows and arrows. Bad weather compelled the invasion force to return from Japan's southern-most major island Kyushu.
In the summer of 1281, Kublai Khan tried again, this time sending some 4000 ships. For fifty-three days the Japanese held the invaders to a narrow beachhead on Kyushu. Then a hurricane struck. The Mongols withdrew again, only half of his force making it back to China.
More details and photos available upon request.
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