Sashimono are war banners, generally worn by ashigaru (common soldier) and samurai alike. The samurai warrior would attach their sashimono to their backs, using a gattari & machi-uke (bracket) and dake-no-koto (bamboo pole). War banner typically portray the Daimyo or Samurai Clan’s mon (symbol) and sometimes samurai squad details (such as stripes). Sometimes elite samurai, who were sufficiently famed or respected, might have their own personal design or name featured on their personal war banner. They allowed warriors to be easily identified by clan associations while marching or on the battle field.ย Battle Flags became prominent during the end of the Sengoku Period (Warring States Period) from the 15th to the early 17th century.
Iron Mountain Armory offers many custom options to make your Sashimono more personal for you and your clan. War banners were made in a large variety of shapes and sizes and made of asa (hemp linen).ย ย In general, the small flag is worn by ashigaru or samurai within a unit. Medium sized flags are worn by the Gashira (unit leader) samurai or samurai who need to be clearly identified (officers, commanders, etc).ย The large clan flags would typically be carried or fixed in the hatadai (Banner Floor Stand) to mark troop rally points or camps.
Keeping with tradition, Iron Mountain Armoryย will craft your sashimono in 1 of the 3 common sizes, from asa (hemp linen). Traditionally the mon on the war flag was painted on 1 side only, making the reverse side of the banner blank. We offer the option to print on both sides of the banner. We also offer 2 printing options, which are “traditional” and “modern“. Traditional is done through screen printing, in which the ink absorbs into the asa extending life of the banner. Modern is printed with a vinyl heat transfer, giving a more vibrant contrast. Please reference the product pictures to see details and read notes below before ordering.ย Using either traditional or modern printing we are happy to make your custom sashimono with one of our standard clan mon or your own custom symbol. Simply reply to your order confirmation email with your single color, clip-art style image (jpg, png, tiff or pdf) of your custom mon (It needs to be of printable resolution of minimum 40 cm). If you would like a custom sized banner, please contact us with your size requirements for pricing.
If you are planning to wear this banner on the back of your armor, much like the samurai of Feudal Japan did, you should order your samurai armor set with the option Gattari (banner holder) listed in the options section of the armor set order form.
Features:ย Sashimono
- Available in 3 sizes
- Small: 76×24 cmย ย ย Medium: 100×45 cm ย Large:ย 190×58 cm
- Optional linen color and mon options available, including custom
| Our skilled katchรป-shi (armorers) at the Iron Mountain Armory will need at least 2 to 4 weeks, depending on options selected, and other scheduled orders, for the custom handcrafting of your reproduction samurai item. |
Please Read & Note BEFORE Ordering:ย The Sashimono samurai war banner are sold without the Dake-No-Koto (bamboo Banner Pole),ย Uke Zutsu (Banner Base) or Hatadai (Portable Floor Stand). These are available accessories to add to your order for an additional cost.ย To wear your sashimono with your armor, you will need the Dake-No-Koto and Uke-Zutsu which connect to your gattari / machi uke (not included).ย The gattari / machi uke need to be ordered with your armor set or added after (sold separately). Traditional Printing may have sections of ink which is faded in some areas and possibly blemish or blur a little along the line, due to ink bleeding (this is natural).ย Modern Printing may have some natural defects in the vinyl transfer which can result in some cracking or flaking. Traditionally the mon would be dyed on one side, only showing the silhouette of the mon on the reverse side of the banner. We understand some clients want their mon on both sides, so we offer double sided printing. Please know that due to mirror printing, we will likely need to double the material to avoid shadow or bleed through of the mon on the reverse side. Please select between the more traditional “Single Side” or more modern “Double Side” in the “Print Option” section above.ย Dark banner with light TRADITIONAL print option may have a faded / vintage look, we recommend modern printing for a light mon on a dark banner. These banners are handmade and traditional as possible and because of this they will not be perfect, so please be aware there may be some natural defects or blemishes.
There are many different details and options when ordering your custom sashimono.ย If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via the
Terms:
Uke Zutsu – A wooden “socket” or base in which the sashimono pole is fitted. Used to anchor your poles to your Gattari & Machi Uke.
Gattari – A bracket fixed to the back of the do (cuirass), shoulder level, which supports the the uke zutsu.
Machi Uke – A pillow with rope fixed to the back of the do (cuirass), waist level, which anchors the uke zutsu into place.
| For more information, please review our Order Options Explained, Glossary Terms or FAQ Pages. You can also Contact Us directly. We are always happy to be of service. |
Reference:ย Wikipedia / Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan –ย By William E. Deal /ย The Samurai Armour Glossaryย ย – by Ian Bottomley & David Thatcher
Really appreciate the customer service. I ordered a custom sashimono and got a mock-up in no time. Looks good with the armour.
My Shashimonos looked different than advertised regarding the colour and the stripes which were sewed on instead of printed which is kinda ok but supposed to be mentioned on the website.
Whats not ok at all is the quality. There are hairs stuck in the print as if the emblem was printed on the fabric with hairs underneath (thick black hairs). Also there are several redish stains on the white one I ordered. The print quality on the blue one is very low as well and does not look like the golden color on the white one. Would be nice if customer service would reply to my mail I sent to resolve this issue. The Price is just too high for this kind of quality.
I truly hope we were able to resolve the issues with the sashimono to your satisfaction. If there is anything else we might be able to assist you with, please let us know.
1) All items are custom and handmade and therefor will look different from the example product pictures.
2) Stripes are noted as being material and not paint, on the website when selecting the option.
3) As noted in the description “Please Read & Note BEFORE Ordering: … Dark banner with light TRADITIONAL print option may have a faded / vintage look, we recommend modern printing for a light mon on a dark banner.” This is the reason for your perceived “low quality” print in comparison to the dark print on light banner. As traditional print is painted on, there are sometimes thin, hair like, brush marks. These dissipate with use of the banner.
4) We would be very happy to answer any email you send us to resolve any issues you may have. I’ve checked our received emails and the last email we received from you was 12/20/20 which was replied to and well before we shipped your order. I am responding to your comments here just 2 1/2 hours after sending them. I will also follow up with an email. Please rest assured we are here to help you before, during and for many years after your purchase. As you can see we can not alter or delete reviews. With an average of 4.75 stars for products and services I am certain there has been some miscommunication.
Makes for one great display – at home or in the battlefield! it truly supplements one’s set of armor.