Perry Samurai: are they wearing maile?

[Codsticker]

I am painting some of Perry's Attacking Samurai Charging with Swords and it looks ike some of them are wearing chain armour along their arms. Do I have that right or is it representing some sort of textured fabric?


It's impossible to see in the photo from the store but I was hoping some one here might have painted some of these fellas.

[Juxt]

Pretty sure it's mail, that's how I've painted it anyway 🙂

[OSHIROmodels]

It is a form of chain mail and was used sparingly. You can paint it sliver or black (I think I've got both on my figures).

cheers

James

[Codsticker]

Awesome, thank you guys.

[FierceKitty]

Mail was certainly not unusual for samurai limb armour, though I can't recall seeing it on any ashigaru stuff. I have also seen a rather Russian-looking shirt of mail with small plates included; the owner told me it was intended to be worn under clothes by ninjas.

[Codsticker]

Mail was certainly not unusual for samurai limb armour, though I can't recall seeing it on any ashigaru stuff. I have also seen a rather Russian-looking shirt of mail with small plates included; the owner told me it was intended to be worn under clothes by ninjas.

That's interesting. I always assumed ninja didn't wear armour of any type. Easier for sneaking. 

[FierceKitty]

It's worth remembering that we don't actually have any real evidence for the existence of the black tracksuit and hood. The earliest pictures showing it date from way into the Edo period. Ninjas probably spent a great deal of time in disguise rather than concealment.

[SotF]

It's worth remembering that we don't actually have any real evidence for the existence of the black tracksuit and hood. The earliest pictures showing it date from way into the Edo period. Ninjas probably spent a great deal of time in disguise rather than concealment.

From what I've heard from some people far more invested in studying Japanese history than I am, some ninja might have used a similar "outfit" for certain roles.

Namely in more of the scouting roles with ties to various forces or patrols. But would still not be in the black ones that tend to pop up a lot...whether or not there would be armor incorporated would be another question.

[AngusH]

Best way I've heard it described is that ninja was more a verb than a noun (similar to 'viking'), and covered everything from a farmer visiting an enemy city with orders to report back on its defenses to independent landed warriors (kokujin) who might be employed to fill various "special forces" type of roles by more powerful daimyo.

The image of mountain temples full of black pajama wearing, smoke bomb throwing ninja is pure Edo-period (and later) myth as best I can tell, and I've never seen even a single mention of them in any serious book on Japanese history... and I have looked!

[OSHIROmodels]

Best way I've heard it described is that ninja was more a verb than a noun (similar to 'viking'), and covered everything from a farmer visiting an enemy city with orders to report back on its defenses to independent landed warriors (kokujin) who might be employed to fill various "special forces" type of roles by more powerful daimyo.

The image of mountain temples full of black pajama wearing, smoke bomb throwing ninja is pure Edo-period (and later) myth as best I can tell, and I've never seen even a single mention of them in any serious book on Japanese history... and I have looked!

That's what I've read as well. No pyjamas in sight 

cheers

James

[craigjwoodfield]

Best way I've heard it described is that ninja was more a verb than a noun (similar to 'viking'), and covered everything from a farmer visiting an enemy city with orders to report back on its defenses to independent landed warriors (kokujin) who might be employed to fill various "special forces" type of roles by more powerful daimyo.

The image of mountain temples full of black pajama wearing, smoke bomb throwing ninja is pure Edo-period (and later) myth as best I can tell, and I've never seen even a single mention of them in any serious book on Japanese history... and I have looked!

Well summarised. Ninjas, ninjutsu, ninja-to - it's pretty much all hooey.

[FierceKitty]

And they're commonly called shinobi, anyway.

[clibinarium]

Hang on a minute, so is the consensus that Godfrey Ho movies do not represent ninjas accurately?

[SotF]

Best way I've heard it described is that ninja was more a verb than a noun (similar to 'viking'), and covered everything from a farmer visiting an enemy city with orders to report back on its defenses to independent landed warriors (kokujin) who might be employed to fill various "special forces" type of roles by more powerful daimyo.

The image of mountain temples full of black pajama wearing, smoke bomb throwing ninja is pure Edo-period (and later) myth as best I can tell, and I've never seen even a single mention of them in any serious book on Japanese history... and I have looked!

Not to mention that some Samurai were also ninja...

The term was pretty much for anyone that wasn't, essentially, a frontline soldier at the time...and even then you might have some of the people involved in the fight playing other games there.