SW031
King & Country
Not yet Released - expected in mid-November.
Another ‘Knight of Bushido’ this one is armed with an ‘Odachi’, the large, two-handed traditional Japanese sword.
Originating in the 14th century they were mainly used to fight against enemy cavalry or to sweep down upon the ranks of their opposing foot soldiers. Unlike his fellow ‘Red Devil’ Samurai this warrior has chosen a more subdued and less flamboyant armour and accoutrements.
Now, which side is he on…? I will leave that decision to the collector!
Feudal Japan’s Samurai warriors lived and died by a unique honour code that came to be known as ‘Bushido’. This was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the victor of the iconic ‘Battle of Sekigahara’ (1600) and the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
These two ‘Katanna’ wielding swordsmen belong to a group of warriors known as ‘Ronin’ which translates as ‘Masterless Samurai’ describing someone who has lost their master and is adrift like a wave on the ocean.
In Japan, at this time, these ‘Ronin’ often lived as drifters, outlaws and, quite often, ‘Mercenaries’ their skills and services on offer to the highest bidder.