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Yanone (arrowhead) of Flat Type (hirane) with Pierced Hanabishi Design
Yanone (arrowhead) of Flat Type (hirane) with Pierced Hanabishi Design
Image © Worcester Art Museum, all rights reserved.

Yanone (arrowhead) of Flat Type (hirane) with Pierced Hanabishi Design

Culture
Date1600s–1800s
Mediumsteel
Dimensions23 × 3.8 × 1.9 cm (9 1/16 × 1 1/2 × 3/4 in.)
Overall1: 2 oz (0.1 lb.)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.534
DescriptionThere is a whitish, hazy zone around the edge, suggesting that it has been heat-hardened.
Label TextThese arrowheads embody the outstanding skill of traditional Japanese metalcraft. Even the simplest of them demonstrates the maker's technical and artistic mastery. The “willow-leaf” and “gut-gouger” heads were used in battle. The forked “wild goose” arrowhead was prized both on the battlefield and for hunting; a pierced whistling bulb of wood, horn or bone with holes was sometimes attached to it to induce terror or signal troops into action. The flat, pointed heads with saw-cut designs were offered as gifts or rewards.ProvenancePurchased by Museum on October 21, 1935 from Yamanaka & Co. (NYC). Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
On View
Not on view