JapanTrident from Japan, Asia. Collected by General C. S. F. Fagan in 1868. Given to the Museum by his son Major Fagan in 1936.

This is the head of a Japanese trident-spear known as a jumonji-yari. It is about 10 feet long and exhibits fine workmanship in its construction, the main section of the shaft being lacquered in black and the upper section fitted with copper mounts and inlaid with tesserae (small, mosaic-like pieces) of iridescent abalone shell.

Weapons such as this were typical of Japanese infantrymen of the late Edo period (1603-1868).

A Place in History

Unlike the katana sword, which was the preserve of samurai warriors, Japanese staff-weapons had been used by both samurai and ordinary foot soldiers since early times. Yari (spears), such as this, were generally not thrown and were instead used for thrusting and parrying. Also in contrast to the Japanese sword, samurai women were trained in the use of staff weapons, the most common being the naginata, (glaive), with which women could use to defend their homes in the absence of men.

This weapon, along with several others on display in the Museum, represents an important chapter in the history of Japan. According to documented records, it was taken from the field the morning after the final day of the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle (May 10th-14th, 1868). Utsunomiya was a seminal engagement in the middle of the Boshin War, a civil conflict between the old shogunate system and pro-Imperial forces. The war itself was the culmination of growing discontent with the political and social situation in late Edo period Japan, which had been effectively ruled for almost 700 years by a series of powerful shoguns (generals) and their samurai retainers, the Emperor reduced to a mere puppet.

At the beginning of the battle, the castle town was in the possession of Imperial forces, but was rapidly taken on May 10th by an army of 2,000 samurai loyal to the shogunate. However, by the 14th, an Imperial force had arrived and their rifles caused large casualties among the samurai, who were armed with traditional bows, swords and spears. The Imperial troops retook the town and those loyal to the shogunate were forced to flee.

After defeat at Utsunomiya, the Tokugawa shogunate and the samurai struggled to retain power as the war dragged on for several more months and they were ultimately overthrown after more than 250 years of peaceful rule. The Meiji, the Imperial household, was restored. A series of social and political reforms led by the young Emperor Meiji between 1868 and 1912 brought Japan out of its medieval system and into the 20th century. Notable changes included a drive towards industrial and technological improvement, the modernization of the army, the opening up of trade to the West and a ban on the carrying of swords and guns on the streets. Thus, many of the old armours and weapons of the samurai were reduced to nothing more than outmoded collectables and curiosities, and it is for this reason that so many ended up in Western museums around this time.