Description

Oni Maedate (demon crests) where commonly used by samurai to call upon their supernatural powers and strike fear in the hearts of their enemy.  Oni are mythical creatures from Japanese folklore which commonly describe demon spirits, ogres / orcs and trolls.  They are said to be the trapped or reincarnated souls of wicked people, doomed to walk the earth reliving their wickedness, by terrorizing and sometimes eating their victims.  Oni always have special beast like strengths and/or supernatural abilities to cause destruction or sickness.  Needless to say, seeing an oni is a bad omen which is why samurai would wear them on their kabuto.

The word “oni” is likely derived from the word “on” or “on’yomi” meaning to “hide” or “conceal”, as oni are spirits hidden from the eyes of humans until they want to be seen. Depictions of oni vary widely but they are often portrayed as large disfigured humans or animal like creatures.  Almost always with horns, sharp teeth, straggly hair and sometimes with 3 or more eyes.  Their skin is often colored red, blue, green, yellowish or blackish, maybe to show their type of supernatural powers.  As Buddhism became more rooted in Japan, they brought their own symbolism to the oni. Often depicting a vertical 3rd eye, rings, fires and other symbols to symbolize different abilities of the demon.

This Oni Maedate is a Limited Edition!  Iron Mountain Armory will only craft 50 individual crests and then retire this design.  Keeping with these traditions of crafting maedate and Japanese folklore, Iron Mountain Armory hand carves each Oni maidate (demon crest) with options of customizations including custom painting.  As each mythical demon has their own features, so can your maedate.  Feel free to select from the many options we offer.  Remember these are all handcrafted at the time of your order from wood, so please allow time for yours to be made and because of this each demon maedate is unique, one of a kind! These are perfect for reproduction or antique kabuto.

• Black Oni often evil spirit, demon like.
• Blue Oni often living dead or troll like.
• Red Oni often associated with passion, wildness, and defiance.
• Green Oni often nature like, spreading sickness.
• Yellow Oni often associated with peril and terror.

Features:

• Limited Edition.
• Hand carved from wood.
• Fully hand painted.
• Average Size: 36x16x5 cm

These items are fully handmade. Your maedate order will be for handcrafting at the time of your payment. This crest typically takes 1 to 2 months for crafting; however, the actual ready date may vary depending on our current schedule.  If you need this item by a specific date, please contact us for our current schedule.  All pictures are for reference only. Because this item is handcrafted there will have some small differences in size, shape, color, etc.  

Additional information