Medieval Forge Miniatures Samurai (Part 2)

…..Continued from Part 1

Up next is Minamoto no Tametomo.

The sculpt master was shown on social media in August 2024 and the figure kit was released in October.  

Detail of the release

Title: Minamoto no Tametomo

Manufacturer: Medievial Forge Miniatures

Scale: 1/24 75 mm

Sculptor: Ableev Nikita

Material: light grey resins

Price from: 54.00 € to 64.95 €

From the product shots, Minamoto no Tametomo is wearing his armour, holding the yumi in front of him. He is carrying a tachi, arrow case and arrows. The kit product shots also show a choice two different heads. One of the head is wearing the kabuto and the other with the eboshi.

Minamoto no Tametomo (源 為朝, 1139 –April 23, 1170), also known as Chinzei Hachiro Tametomo (鎮西 八郎 為朝), was a Japanese military commander in the late Heian period. The eighth son of Minamoto no Tameyoshi, the younger brother of Minamoto no Yoshitomo and the uncle of Minamoto no Yoritomo.

He was 7 feet tall and in many legends that his left arm was about 4 inches longer than his right. A celebrated archer whose bow was more than eight feet long and required the strength of three ordinary men to bend it. He could shoot arrows — their heads as large as spears. It is said that he once sunk an entire Taira ship with a single arrow by puncturing its hull below the waterline.

The historical Minamoto Tametomo joined his father, the general Tameyoshi, in the seminal Genpei wars. In the first major battle — the Hôgan Incident of 1156 — Tametomo fought against Taira forces led by his brother, Yoshitomo. The victorious Yoshitomo ordered the execution of Tameyoshi and the exile of Tamemoto.

After the Hōgen Rebellion, the Taira cut the sinews of Tametomo's left arm, limiting the use of his bow, and then he was banished to the island of Ōshima in the Izu Islands.

During his banishment to the island of Ôshima in Izu, Tamemoto conquered some of the neighboring islands. This brought forth an imperial expeditionary force to hunt him down. With no escape, Tametomo took his own life, said to be the first recorded instance in which a samurai committed ritualistic suicide by cutting open his abdomen (seppuku).

Minamoto no Tametomo’s armour

The Kozakura Ido O-yoroi /Small Cherry Bloosom Leather Armour(小桜韋黄返威鎧).

This O-yoroi is a famous piece of armor owned by Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社)on Itsukushima in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the "Three Great Armours of Japan" refers to three armours (O-yoroi) made in the late Heian period that are considered to have particularly high historical value and are also considered to be of excellent quality as works of art among the armour (armour helmets) that still exist in Japan. 

Armour with cherry-patterned yellow leather lacing (小桜韋黄返威鎧 kozakura kawa kigaeshi odoshi yoroi); formerly belonged to Minamoto no Tametomo. Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima, Japan

It is one of very few remaining O-yoroi from the late Heian period, and although it has lost the kyubinoita that covers the left armpit which protects the heart from enemy arrows, it still retains its elegant and dignified appearance and has been designated a National Treasure.

The " kozane " (small metal plates) of this O-yoroi are approximately 8cm high and 5cm wide, making them the largest of all existing items. The term "O-arame no armor" that appears in military chronicles describes an O-yoroi made of large kozane, and this O-yoroi has a magnificent design befitting that description.

At the same time, the influence of elegant aristocratic culture can be felt in the "odoshi", the "kozakuragawa" (small cherry blossom leather) with a delicate cherry blossom pattern dyed in indigo on a white background leather, and the " kanamono " (metal fittings) in the shape of cherry blossoms plated with gold and silver.

Another major feature of this item is that the " kabutobachi " (helmet bowl) is made using the extremely rare technique of "ichimaibarisujifuse (一枚張筋伏)," in which a single sheet of iron is hammered into a hemispherical shape and decorated.

According to current shrine testiomony, this armour was used by Minamoto no Tametomo, who played an active role in the Hogen Rebellion, but there is no such information in documents and records compiled up until the end of the Edo period, such as the Shuko Jishu (集古十種). Since Itsukushima Shrine was under the protection of the Heike clan (平家一門), including Taira no Kiyomori (平清盛), it has been pointed out that this armour may in fact be related to the Heike.

Final thoughts:

 

On Imagawa Yoshimoto

An exciting piece from Ableev Nikita but this figure is full of inaccuracies and mistakes for the particular period. For example the haramaki armour, the kabuto, the kuwagata, the chest boards, and the fur shoes. The odoshi is badly sculpted. There are also some strange ornamental components that embellish the armour and sode added by the sculptor. All these inaccuracies and mistakes are due to lack of research. It looks like the armour is a mix and match from Japan different periods.

On Minamoto no Tametomo

I was hoping for another exciting piece from sculptor Ableev Nikita but was disappointed. At first glance on the sculpt master, it has quite a number of parts which are historical inaccurate and questionable.

 1. Tametomo a military commander was from the Heian period (794-1185), he should be in his O-yorio (大鎧) but the figure is depicted a Doumaru 胴丸,the set of armour used by lower and middle class samurais from the Kamakura period (1185-1333).

2. The figure is wearing Gyoyo shoulder guards instead of the Sendannoita and Kyubinoita chest board.

3. The kusazuri, kabuto, kuwagata, haidate and suneate they are not from the Heian period and where is the Kegutsu (Fur Shoes)?

4. The ebira arrow case, the ya arrows, tsurumaki bow string holder and kuwagata are all questionable.

5. The figure arrow fletching has only two feathers. For Japanese arrows the arrow fletching should have three or four feathers and up to six rather than just two as with the figure.

Conclusion:

Unfortunately both figures have suffered the same mistakes on the armour. Samurai is not an easy subject to tackle and most sculptors are lack of knowledge especially on the armour. Japan different periods have different style of armour and the sculptor needed extensive research to get it correct.

Despite of the historical inaccuracies, both figures look impressive when painted. If historical accuracy is not important to you, buy it and enjoy your painting.

Thank you for looking!