Japanese Armor Society Forum

Sometimes it is good to know in advance the basic rules for handling pieces of armour/armor, such as how to pack/unpack a boxed set.

Some things become second nature, out of respect for the materials and integrity of a piece, or just by way of good manners. Usually these are learnt directly from a Sensei, but out in the marketplace unnecessary damage can be caused by ignorance.

A recent thread mentioned a loose tsunomoto, so instead of commenting there I thought a dedicated thread might be good. I hope our members will correct or add to this thread as the inspiration kicks in.

So, to get the ball rolling,
1. When you remove a Maédaté it could be tight and you may be tempted to rock it left and right as you pull upwards. This is a no-no as it can gradually loosen the tsunomoto itself. No rocking action! (Gently but firmly pull straight upwards.)

Great idea for this thread, Piers!

Well, this thread has not yet taken off, so please allow me to add something in the meantime.

2. When placing a cuirass into a Yoroi-bitsu, it is tempting to drop it straight in, upright. As we know, though, they were traditionally lowered in upside down, with the Watakami (Wadakami, Watagami, etc.) facing down and taking the weight. The Kusazuri (Gesan) are folded back over to hang inwards. (You can leave them hanging outside the box, and then finally bring them over to cover the central pile.) Various smaller pieces such as the Sangu are lowered into the central hollow space. If the Kabuto has no separate box, then this will be placed on top of the smaller parts pile, and the Maedate folded into a cloth (bag) and placed somewhere (under/inside the Kabuto for example if flat or small enough) where it will not get damaged. Many original sets of Katchu were kept in individual numbered/named string-tied bags, one saying 'Sune-ate', or 'Hai-date' and another 'Sode', for example.

A famous Katchushi told me that bubble wrap is a no-no. It tends to trap moisture and encourage rust. He showed me some large sheets of white semi-translucent paper that are perfect for wrapping individual parts. He also frowned upon any kind of artificial insect or moth repellent. Place some small red To-garashi peppers in the corners of the box, he said. Insects do not like those.

I got some stunning sake cups with black urushi and maki-e decorations. The old guy that sold them to me, included a bunch of washi papers. He told me to individually wrap each cup in this paper as washi paper was by far the best way to store old urushi artifacts. However, he didn’t mention the pepper

Jan

Jan, I do not think that urushi is affected by insects.

The Urushi-Beetle?

Jan

All very good points, particularly for international shipping. (Although six weeks in a hot container might be a consideration!) The guy was talking about long-term storage within a Japanese traditional environment.

Thank you Peter.