Sashimono
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Sashimono (指物, 差物, 挿物) were small
Description
Sashimono poles were attached to the backs of the
Variety
Given the great variety in Japanese armour, sashimono were used to provide a kind of "uniform" to armies. Sashimono typically came in either square or short rectangular forms, although many variations existed. A variation that is often bigger and coloured is the uma-jirushi, which were large, personalized, sashimono-like flags worn by commanders. Similar to this were the very large and narrow nobori banners, which commonly took two or three men to hold erect and were used to control the direction of fighting during large battles. (Uma-jirushi and nobori are still used today at sports events, as Japanese versions of the banners common among Western sports audiences.)[citation needed]
The banner hung from an L-shaped frame, which was attached to the chest armour dō or dou by a socket machi-uke or uketsubo near the waistline and hinged at shoulder level with a ring gattari or sashimono-gane. While this arrangement was perhaps one of the most common, there were other variations. Silk and leather were the most common materials used.
Design
The designs on sashimono were usually very simple geometric shapes, sometimes accompanied by Japanese characters providing the name of the leader or clan, the clan's
See also
- Akira Kurosawa - Japanese film director who made a number of films set in this era, notable for their historically accurate costume design
- Military colours
- Heraldry
- Surcoat
References
- ^ "Sashimono (little banner)". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
- ^ "Banners & Flags". Sengoku Daimyo. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
- ^ Turnbull, Stephen (2001). Ashigaru 1497-1659. Bloomsbury USA. p. 5.
- ^ "The Equipment of the Samurai - Fearsome Warriors Armed to the Teeth". warhistoryonline. 2017-03-16. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
Another important part of signaling and organizing samurai in battle was the sashimono. It was a banner suspended on a pole and worn on the back of a samurai's armor. It was emblazoned with the mon, or badge, of the commander the samurai served. Like many heraldic displays, it served several functions in battle. It was a way of showing off a samurai's presence and glorifying a commander who brought many men to fight.