Samurai Heraldry Gallery

[evalerio]

A major factor in my return to studying Samurai history, inspired by the spectacular depiction of heraldry in Akira Kurosawa's 'RAN'! The banners were all 'fictional' in the film, but they got me started on what I expect would be a lifelong pursuit.

I do illustrations of battle scenes from ancient times to modern times for my job and my hobby. I have learned years ago I may spend a lifetime collecting information on samurai heraldry to accurately depict the different armies appearing on the battlefields of Sengoku period Japan.

Niwa Nagahide. For now, I assume the sashimono are the same as those of his son, Nagashige.


Niwa Nagashige. A question regarding the samurai sashimono. Turnbull in the Sourcebook describes it as WHITE, but his own illustration, which I assume he copied from 'O uma Jirushi', show it to be BLACK. Illustration from 'O uma jirushi' showing the Niwa heraldry set, show a BLACK sashimono.


Kitsuno, if the heraldry are acceptable you can use them.

I can only make a guess as to the actual 'size' of the Niwa triple sashimono for their ashigaru, based on the illustration in 'O uma jirushi'. The Okegawa do is more accurate, based on photo of actual Niwa ashigaru armour. The jingasa is missing, so the jingasa with Niwa 'X' is an assumption, based on common practice for 'complete' ashigaru armour.




NOTE: Research is ongoing, so updates and corrections will be made when necessary.

[Obenjo Kusanosuke]

Evalario,

Your attention to detail along with your artistic skills never cease to amaze me! Good stuff!

Obenjo

[ltdomer98]

Actually, Niwa used another image, but formatted it wrong so all he got was the "Image Not Found" X...


_________________

[evalerio]

Thanks, Obenjo.

Nate, the 'X' was so much simpler than the 'TREE'!.

KOMYO GA TSUJI ended last Saturday, and Furinkazan's subtitled version has not started yet. I miss Nakayama Yukie already.


The nobori and the uma-jirushi banner appear in Rekishi Gunzo's '118 Famous Daimyo'. The rest are described by Turnbull in the Sourcebook and are also based on the Yamauchi heraldry set in 'O uma-jirushi'. Turnbull described the 3d uma-jirushi as a white hat, but it appears as ochre(?) in 'O uma-jirushi'. The 3d 'black wreath' samurai sashimono also appear in the Sekigahara screen showing Yamauchi troops outflanking the Western army. The wreath is not a full circle in the screen, but look more like a crescent moon in shape.

I have not found sashimono for Yamauchi ashigaru, yet. Turnbull has a small Yamauchi sashimono illustrated in one of his earlier books, but I haven't found it anywhere else, so decided not to include it.

One of Kazutoyo's comrades in the series was Horio Yoshiharu, who took part in the siege of Inabayama castle and at Yamazaki. His son Tadauji fighting for Ieyasu at Sekigahara.



Turnbull's description of the Horio heraldry is vague in the Sourcebook, but I was able to find the set from 'O uma-jirushi'. Turnbull didn't even try to describe the 3d uma-jirushi.

There is a question regarding the sashimono for the Tsukaiban and ashigaru, illustrated as identical in size in 'O uma-jirushi'. I decided to follow Turnbull's description of the ashigaru's sashimono as being smaller.

I have not yet found the heraldry for Kazutoyo's other comrade in the series, Nakamura Kazuuji.

[nagaeyari]

AWESOME!

That's some darn good book material right there...perhaps a journal article

Great work!
_________________
Fukuzawa Yukichi - "Mo' money mo' problems

[shin no sen]

Hi, quote[...perhaps a journal article]
I agree totally, perhaps a serial, one clan per issue. John
_________________
知恵は時間及びエネルギーである

[Templar]

Impressive.

[evalerio]

The boss is on vacation for two weeks, but had asked me to try and create at least 13 color plates of heraldry and troops in armour for a painting guide for miniatures. I now have to go through my sketches and choose what to show him when he gets back. But because of the parameters, they can't be the most outlandish sets.

The Ii 'Red Devil'. Probably the most colorful, and my personal favorite subject in painting and sculpting.

Many of the objects were based on photos of the actual artifacts. My apologies in my first attempt at writing kanji with a stylus.
An 'enlargement' of the streamer at the top of the nobori is based on a very good photo. The sashimono is also based on a photo. The light blue horo is based on Turnbull's description and on figures with 'light-colored' horo on the Sekigahara and Osaka screen. Surnames were written on gold on top of the horo for all Ii Tsukaiban. Even magnified the writings on top of the horo can not be seen clearly, so pardon the 'gibberish' in my horo sample.

The 'individuality' of Ii samurai sashimono make the Red Devil army one of the hardest to illustrate accurately.

#1, 2, and 3 were based on photos of the actual objects. #4 is an assumption of what the vanguard commander Kimata Morikatsu's sashimono might have looked like, based on the way his name was written on the plaque displayed with his armour.

Much of the earlier illustrations I did of the Red Devils when I first started I have since learned to be wrong. This is what I currently know, and have yet to identify several more contingents within the Ii army.

[evalerio]

The vanguard of the Ii Red Devil, Kimata Morikatsu. Based on the Sekigahara and Osaka screen. Morikatsu's entire contingent was also illustrated in a color plate in a Rekishi Gunzo book.

The 'enlargement' of the nameplate for one of the Tsukaiban horo is based on a contemporary diagram of Ii equipment. My apologies if my interpretation looks 'gibberish'. The color of the mon displayed is a close approximation as they appeared on the screens. Rekishi Gunzo illustrated them as white on red.

'Tip of the Spear', Kimata Morikatsu, commander of the vanguard of the Ii Red Devils. He is illustrated mounted an a 'pony-sized' Kiso, the correct breed of horse ridden by samurai.


Many thanks to Bill Dunkle ('Hachiya' from the old Samurai Forum) for the photo of Morikatsu's armour. The set did not include haidate. I added one to 'complete' the look of a fully-armoured Red Devil.



A close-up look to see the pattern on his breastplate, of what looks like the outline of a warfan. The photo is not clear enough, so I can't tell if the pattern is 'painted' on, embossed, or an applique. The menpo with the set was a big help to hide the face, as I don't have a contemporary portrait of Morikatsu to draw on.

[Kagemusha]

Amazing work!
_________________

[Ranger]

Fantastic work evalerio. Love the Ii Red Devils stuff. Was the artwork done on Adobe Illustrator?
_________________
You may be whatever you resolve to be.
- Stonewall Jackson

[heron]

I can't keep following this thread in silence any longer - this work is so fantastic, Evalerio. The Ii Red Devils are superb - and this last one - I am speechless. Back to silence again

[evalerio]

[Algren-san]

sounds great! Keep up the good work.
_________________
Pennsylvania is very unstable. I don't know how else to explain it.-My Japanese Teacher

[evalerio]

The Sakai.

Sakai Tadatsugu is one of my favorites. His exploits at Mikatagahara and Nagashino, his different sets of armour that were different from one another, make him a source of many drawings in my sketchbook.

The banners depicted are based on Turnbull's description in The Sourcebook and illustrations in 'O uma jirushi'. Questions: regarding the Tsukaiban sashimono based on Turnbull's description, but damaged drawing in 'O uma jirushi' seem to show a gold disc on green. Turnbull's description of the ashigaru sashimono is vague, as a smaller 'red and white' flag, but illustration in 'O uma jirushi' show a smaller version of the samurai sashimono.

Tadatsugu's personal sashimono is based on a crude painting in the Osprey Nagashino book. I would be grateful if anyone can provide a better photo of the sashimono which is said to be displayed in the Nagashino Battlefield museum in Shinshiro.

Tadatsugu's banners look very 'modern', still being used by Japan today. The Tsukaiban sashimono always remind me of WW II Japanese warplanes.

Sakai Tadatsugu, one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's finest commanders. I have illustrated him based on Turnbull's description on how he may have looked at the Battle of Nagashino. The color plate in Turnbull's Nagashino book is crude where Tadatsugu is illustrated wearing a 'puny' helmet.

Thanks to Bill Dunkle (Hachiya) for the photo of Tadatsugu's actual armour, where the helmet crest is more impressive than it appeared in the Osprey book.

Close Up. This armour comes complete with menpo, but I decided not to use it so I could draw the face. I have a good contemporary portrait of Tadatsugu, and I wanted to try my first portrait with a stylus. The face is my interpretation of what the Japanese artist saw when he drew Sakai Tadatsugu.

Note the fur at the lowest part of the Kusazuri. The 'net' on the haidate and kote are a 'compromise' due to the limitations of the medium to depict mail while showing the brocade in the fabric underneath. While Ieyasu's other famous commanders like Honda Tadakatsu and Ii Naomasa were almost always associated with a particular set of armour, Tadatsugu had at least three different and distinct sets. This one is my favorite.

While the 'senior' branch under Tadatsugu used the red rising sun, the other branch used the Sakai wood sorrel mon.

Based on Turnbull's Sourcebook descriptions and 'O uma jirushi' illustrations. During the Sekigahara campaign this branch stayed behind to guard Edo while the other senior branch led by Ietsugu fought at Sekigahara.

I know very little of the junior branch of the Sakai.

Based on Turnbull's Sourcebook descriptions and 'O uma jirushi' illustrations. The ashigaru sashimono has small black Sakai mon on red.

[Tsubame1]

Lord... Emmanuel, have ever tought to publish your
works ? With the ongoing Samurai Archives Press
there is room for articles about heraldy and your
renditions are G-R-E-A-T !

Please share every other work you make.
Too good to not be on my HD too.
_________________
.
Carlo

Ovunque, torno indietro.
(Everywhere I go, I'll come back).

[evalerio]

Hey, Carlo,

At this point, 'gray' areas or entire 'blanks' make me hesitant to 'commit' to making a book. In this forum I can at least make 'corrections' and/or updates when new information comes up.


The 'Seven Spears of Shizugatake'.

NOTE: The heraldry sets below would not have been in existence yet when these men fought in Shizugatake. They would come later as they rise in rank in Hideyoshi's army.

Fukushima Masanori. One of the 'Seven Spears', veteran of the Korean invasion and the vanguard of the Eastern army at Sekigahara. Question regarding the date of his death. Samurai Archives Biographical Dictionary has it 1614, Turnbull has it at 1624. (CORRECTED. Thanks Kitsuno).

Based on a complete set in a color plate in Rekishi Gunzo's '118 Famous Daimyo'. With the exception of the black nobori, all the white banners above appear in the Sekigahara screens. In the screen, the white sashimono with black zigzag lines is worn by a single mounted samurai near the Uma-jirushi, a possible Tsukaiban (?). The other three sashimono versions with paulownia mon are not worn by samurai but are instead held for them by ashigaru, each ashigaru sashimono-bearer supporting a dismounted samurai engaged in hand-to-hand combat. There does not seem to be sashimono for any of the Fukushima ashigaru in the screen.

The black nobori appear by itself in other screens. It appears in today's reenactments of the battle of Sekigahara, where smaller versions of the black nobori is worn as sashimono.

Another of the 'Seven Spears of Shizugatake'. Wakizaka Yasuharu was a naval commander during Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea. Defeated in naval battles by Admiral Yi. At Sekigahara Yasuhara switched sides and joined Kobayakawa Hideaki in attacking the Western Army.

In the Korean TV series "The Immortal Yi Soon Shin" Wakizaka Yasuharu is depicted as the 'villain' and arch nemesis of the Korean hero Admiral Yi.

A complete set is illustrated in 'O uma jirushi'. A drawing of the set appears in Osprey's 'Samurai Heraldry' and appears in the lower left of the Sekigahara screen.

Another of Hideyoshi's 'Seven Spears', Kato Yoshiaki. He would become one of Hideyoshi's naval commanders, in the Kyushu and Odawara campaigns, and during the invasion of Korea. Like Wakizaka Yasuharu, he would lose battles with the Korean navy. At Sekigahara he was part of Tokugawa Ieyasu's vanguard.

Yoshiaki's banners appear in color plates in two Rekishi Gunzo books. The character 'ju' on his nobori. Turnbull in The Sourcebook described both the tsukaiban and samurai sashimono as black serrated flags. A complete set appears in 'O uma jirushi' with one of the serrated sashimono being white. I've assumed the black one is for a tsukaiban as their sashimono were often different colors from the nobori.

Kato Yoshiaki's banners may have been plain and simple, but he has at least two sets of impressive armour and helmet, including one grotesque-looking one. I haven't found sashimono for ashigaru, but example of Kato Yoshiaki ashigaru armour show a brown-lacquered hotoke-do with a very large gold disc on the breastplate.

In the works: Kato Kiyomasa's heraldry and color plates of Kato ashigaru.

[kitsuno]

[evalerio]

This is a 'work in progress' in my sketchbook. While Oda Nobunaga or Tokugawa Ieyasu are well illustrated with armour and heraldry, many others are a 'blank space' for me. Those defeated or destroyed on the battlefield often live little or nothing behind.

For a long time I've had no 'visual' reference to Shibata Katsuie's army. For now, this is what I have of him and the men who fought for him at the battle of Shizugatake.

The nobori and uma-jirushi are from various Rekishi Gunzo color plates and described in The Sourcebook. The sashimono are based on several of the Shizugatake screens.

There is no 'uniformity' in the way the Shibata sashimono are depicted in the screens. If correct, their 'individuality' would be hard to describe.

Shibata Katsumasa, adopted by Katsuie. Killed at Shizugatake.

Rekishi Gunzo color plate of nobori helped locate Katsumasa's contingent in all of the Shizugatake screens. The uma-jirushi banner with Shibata mon appears in only one screen, but seemed a perfect design for Katsuie's adopted son. The 3d uma-jirushi 'trident' appears in three different screens. There is a bewildering array of ashigaru sashimono, and even more confusing 'individuality' in samurai sashimono. I've chosen those that appear the same in two of the screens.


Sakuma Morimasa, Katsumasa's brother. 'Responsible' for the disaster at Shizugatake and later executed.

Nobori described in The Sourcebook and shown in Rekishi Gunzo color plate, helped locate Morimasa's contingent in all the screens. The 3d uma-jirushi, horo and ashigaru sashimono appear the same in all the screens. Contingent illustrated attacking Takayama Ukon in Iwasaki-yama.

Sakuma Yasumasa (Thanks, Kitsuno). Katsumasa and Morimasa's brother. Survived Shizugatake.

Rekishi Gunzo color plate of nobori helped locate this contingent in all the screens. A very large contingent with what appears to be several different 'divisions' of samurai with distinct but 'uniformed' sashimono. The survival of this contingent may explain the clear depiction of units of samurai and ashigaru. Always illustrated attacking Shizugatake and its doomed commander, Nakagawa Kiyohide.

The 'Tokuyama Gohei tai' (Thanks, Kitsuno and Tony).

Having survived Shizugatake, this contingent is also clearly depicted with 'uniformed' sashimono. Shown with Sakuma Morimasa's contingent, making frontal assaults on Takayama Ukon's troops in Iwasaki-yama.

The Fuwa Katsumitsu tai (Thanks, Tony).

Sourcebook description of nobori and uma-jirushi identify this contingent in the screens, it appears withdrawing from the battlefield as it is being attacked by Hideyoshi's arriving troops.

These are again 'works in progress', the banners with small case letterings are based on my own current interpretations of 5 Shizugatake screens.

[Tsubame1]

@ Kitsuno.

This thread seems to me good enought to be a sticky.
This way emmanuel will add/amend files with an
immediate visibility.

What do you think ? Have I to make you an offer that
you can't refuse ?
_________________
.
Carlo

Ovunque, torno indietro.
(Everywhere I go, I'll come back).

[evalerio]

Color plate of Sakai Tadatsugu has been added to the Sakai section. Kato Yoshiaki was added to the 'Seven Spears of Shizugatake'.

The Sanada: Search is still ongoing to complete this section. Posted here due to 'popular requests'.

Sanada Yukitaka, one of Takeda Shingen's generals.

All the red banners are based on Turnbull's descriptions and color plates in his books. The white nobori is based on the Kawanakajima screens and the white sashimono with red band is based on the Nagashino screen. Nobutada's sashimono, presented to him by Takeda Shingen, is based on a photo in a Rekishi Gunzo book and it is illustrated in Turnbull's Samurai Heraldry book.

In the TV series 'Furin Kazan' Yukitaka's mounted samurai are shown with the white sashimono with red band.

Sanada Nobutsuna and his brother Masateru were killed at Nagashino.

The green uma-jirushi in the center is based on Turnbull's description and in a color plate in 'Samurai Warlords'. The rest of the banners above appear in Rekishi Gunzo's '118 Famous Daimyo'. They appear in the Nagashino screen where Nobutsuna and Masateru are shown falling in front of the palisades.

Father and Son, Nobuyuki and Nobuyoshi fought for Tokugawa Ieyasu at the final battle of samurai armies at Osaka castle and the Battle of Tennoji.

Turnbull's description of Nobuyuki's heraldry in The Sourcebook do not match Rekishi Gunzo color plates and illustrations in 'O uma-jirushi'. It seems he mixed them up with those of his son Nobuyoshi.

Nobuyuki and Nobuyoshi's heraldry are illustrated in 'O uma-jirushi. The white banners with red band from Yukitaka's time appear again. Nobuyoshi was part of the Tokugawa vanguard, and at Tennoji the Sanada advanced against Sanada Yukimura.

The main banners based on Turnbull's description on The Sourcebook, in color plates in two Rekishi Gunzo books. Daisuke's uma-jirushi in a color plate in Turnbull's Osaka book and the sashimono in 'Samurai Heraldry'. Yukimura's ashigaru are illustrated in red-lacquered armour.

I am still searching to complete a set for Sanada Masayuki. I've found a photo of a spectacular suit of armour belonging to Sanada Nobuyuki. I will someday do a color plate or sculpture of this one.

[evalerio]

Two of Hideyoshi's less effective commanders that used the zen coin motif.

Sengoku Hidehisa, what an appropriate name for the period! Defeated by Chosokabe Motochika at Hikita and the by the Shimazu at Hetsugigawa.

UPDATED - 02/07/2010: Ko Uma-jirushi.


Based on Turnbull's desciption in The Sourcebook and a Rekishi Gunzo color plate. The 'mu' banner in a color plate in Turnbull's 'Samurai Warfare'. The complete set appears in 'O Uma-jirushi'.

I have photos of Sengoku Hidehisa's beautiful set of armour, as well as two types of colorful Sengoku ashigaru armour clearly identifiable with 'mu' or Hidehisa's mon, possible reasons sashimono may have not been used. Color plate of Hidehisa's ashigaru archer is currently in the works.

Mizuno Katsushige, served under Sasa Narimasa in the Kyushu Campaign. He participated in the Korean campaign, serving under both Kato Kiyomasa and Konishi Yukinaga. Served the Tokugawa at the Osaka campaign and the Shimabarra Rebellion.

Based on The Sourcebook, the complete set illustrated in 'O uma-jirushi'. One of the rare examples of a nobori-type banner used as an uma-jirushi.

[lordameth]

Wow. Fantastic art. Since joining this forum, you guys have given me a real hankering for getting into tabletop minis gaming...

[Abu Ayyub]

I am very impressed with the level of scholarship on this forum. many fine historians filling the gaps in understanding samurai heraldry, and for this reason i've joined this group.
i have been doing research into a number of crests and flag indentifications using mainly books by stephen turnbull, websites and the few byobu folding screens pictures found online. with these sources i still find contradictions and mistakes which quickly lead to confusion.
can someone help me identify the mon, banners, sashimono etc and colors used for the following samurai:

OKUBO TADAYO
SAKIKABARA YASUMASA
ISHIKAWA KAZUMASA
TAKIGAWA KAZUMASA
SAKUMA NOBOMORI

everyones expertise will be appreciated.

[evalerio]

Some of Tokugawa Ieyasu's noteworthy commanders.

Okubo Tadayo, part of the Tokugawa vanguard mauled by the Takeda at the Battle of Mikatagahara and entrusted with Ieyasu's Golden Fan standard to rally the collapsing Tokugawa army. Led the volunteers in the night battle of Saigadake. In the Anegawa screen Tadayo and Okubo samurai are depicted protecting Ieyasu's headquarters where Ieyasu was directly threatened by Asakura samurai, and where Tadayo's son Tadachika is depicted in the thick of the fighting. Again among the Tokugawa hatamoto at Nagashino where he faced the attack of the contingent of Yamagata Masakage.

The uma-jirushi is based on a Rekishi Gunzo color plate and seen on the Anegawa screen. The nobori is also on the Anegawa screen, described in Turnbull's Sourcebook with two Okubo mon. I'm assuming there were three mon, the lowest one obscured by smoke painted on the Anegawa screen. Okubo flags described by Turnbull as black, but Rekishi Gunzo color plates and screens reproduced in books of Tokugawa collections show dark blue Okubo flags. The 3d butterfly sashimono are my interpretation of those illustrated on the Anegawa screen. Still hoping to someday find more reliable pictorial representation of the butterfly sashimono.

Ishikawa Kazumasa fought in many of Tokugawa Ieyasu's battles. He led 1,000 men as commander of the third division at Anegawa. He was on the extreme left flank of the Tokugawa line at Mikatagahara. As commander of the western Mikawa force he advanced ahead of the Oda main body at Nagashino.



The nobori is based on a Rekishi Gunzo color plate and appears on the Anegawa screen where the 3d uma-jirushi of the 'rindo' Ishikawa mon is also seen. Still looking for Kazumasa's sashimono. Ishikawa Tadafusa's sashimono might give an idea of their appearance.

Ishikawa Tadafusa, son of Okubo Tadachika and adopted as heir by Ishikawa Yasumichi, son of Kazumasa. During the Osaka Winter Campaign he led 300 men and took part in the operation to secure the riverside forts protecting Osaka castle. He crossed the Kizugawa to capture Bakuroguchi fort. Led 2300 men during the final Battle of Tennoji, part of the flanking move to attack Osaka castle from the northeast.

UPDATE - CORRECTED 07/06/09: Sashimono of tsukaiban and samurai. (Thank you 'Zenmaster')

Nobori is based on Turnbull's Sourcebook description and on 'O uma-jirushi'. 3d uma-jirushi and sashimono based on 'O uma-jirushi'. Turnbull describe the heraldry color as green, unfortunately the 'O uma-jirushi' Ishikawa green appears faded. The banners use Ishikawa 'roundel' seen on Kazumasa's nobori and use what appears to be a 3d Okubo butterfly wing for the uma-jirushi.