Ancient Korean quiver (1500years ago)

[maruchi]

Hi, everyone!

Last year, i tried to remake the Joseun Dynesty quiver and bowcase 'Donggae', and finished.



This year, I hope to reproduct this anciant korean(3kingdom periode)quiver.


< excavation remains>



<reproduction of museum>


I do not agree the museum's reproduction, and determined to remake myself.

now I'm gathring data and imformation, the excavation remains in museums are not enough .

If you have information, help me.

Thanks.

[Bede]

I have seen the quiver myself. I think the type is related to the ones in the famous murals of the mounted archers in tombs. I agree that the reconstruction is possibly incorrect. However, it is widespread and I have seen it in several Korean publications. It is a good one to test with a reconstruction.
I did find one article on quivers but it has a cylindrical one from an early tomb.

Two Remarkable Tombs of Wooden Construction Excavated in Pyongyang, Korea: Part 3.
Tomb No. 219 at Sekiganri, Construction, and Some Funerary Objects
Author: Sueji Umehara
Archives of the Chinese Art Society of America, Vol. 10 (1956), pp. 18-29

This is available through JSTOR.

[maruchi]

Hi Mr Bede,

I know old korean also used two type's of quivers, but cylindrical quiver is out of interst at present.(but someday....)

I can refer severl murals, but they don't give me inspirations sufficient.







On the contrary, I think those simple images gave bad influences to the archeologists.

They have discussed and reached at that.


<reconstrution proposals>


I have several excavation reports, in Korea.

Another similar quiver from outer country is needed.

[mechwar]

I was trying to make this short quiver in the mural(An-ak third mural, 4C)
and I'm very curious about those [W] shaped pocket on front of the quiver.
I think it's very widly spreadout style in central and eastern asia, even europe, but those Goguyeo army quiver is seems like very short one,
In my test, those front pocket is not so useful, I think this quiver was much longer than picture. but shorter than turkish style quiver with [w] pocket.
and also, those royal style straped quiver with metal parts is very diffrent style from first picture(army style).
straped quiver needs heavy belt, and it's shape is bowl or box style on bottom, this means straped quiver is can't hold the arrows tightly,
it's just put the arrows and hold the arrow sharfts in the middle,
but this bowl quiver can put whistle arrows or more bigger broadheads.
it must be hunting quiver(and horse riding in the mural?) or ceremonial, not for soldiers and wars.
for example, those eye carved wooden bowl was founded in Sil-la tomb(Ho-woo chong, 4c)
but this tomb's owner was Goguryeo's royal family or high bureaucrat.
so, this relic is Goguryeo's quiver (very similar with horse hunting picture)

[maruchi]

Long time no see, mechwar.

What a pretty quiver!

I do not exclude it was burial acceccory, but wall painting... give me confusions.

I konw W patterned, assistant (leather) pocket of another country's quiver, but it has gold-plated copper sheet.

[Bede]

There is a possibility that this quiver is the direct relative of a type of quiver used in North China from the Han Dynasty at least. It is probably related to infantry quivers that were worn on the belt on the right side towards the rear.

What we might be seeing in the archaeological examples is an attempt to relocate the quiver lower in order to make draing arrows on horseback more comfortable. I don't think this was a straight forward open quiver, but it might be related to a Japanese ebira. By that I mean that the lower part of the quiver restrains the arrowheads only and there is some sort of band or cord higher up to control the shafts. This is one interpretation of some of the wall paintings.

[jack farrell]

I was at one of the national museums with Baekje artifacts and there was a quiver with eyes on it. I just had an aha moment and realized that these are maybe the eyes of Buddha. The displayed quiver would have been from about the time of the introduction of Buddhism to Korea.

This was in Chungchangnamdo province. Excuse the spelling. Museum display picture mural.

[mechwar]

Maruchi /
Yes, I also confusing with that mural paintings.
it looks similar, but that Kaya royal quiver(with Golden parts) is pretty deferent shape from Gogooryeo's.

Bede /
Yes, Samurai quiver is very close to this one, also japanese has some long side quiver relics too. I think it's very lucky for us! because we have nothing remains of it!

Jack/
Thanks for the picture!
It's a Gogooryeo's mural(4c) in An-ak third tomb, Hwang-Hae-Do.
There is in north korea, now ;(
I saw your picture too, in Baekje museum. that's so famous mural.
you can see many pictures in here(link), more detail things!
and paintings before getting damaged.

http://www.google.co.kr/search?q=%EC%95 ... 80&bih=842

[maruchi]

Thanks,

'Japanese ebira' and 'Buddha eye', both give me another inspirations!

[mechwar]

Does Japanese can use this ebira on their horseback??

[jack farrell]

The An-ak 4c mural is somewhat stylized so that scale is difficult. It could be a short quiver. On the other hand the arrows are shown very short. It is more likely that the arrows were actually long and the quiver is shown half the length of the arrows and therefore the quiver could be 35 or 40 mm long.

In the museum reproduction above, the metal side tabs are worked into the quiver. In many old Asian belts, the decorations hang down free and by themselves.

[Bede]

Mechwar,
The ebira quiver was used both on foot and on horseback. When hunting, the utsubo quiver was prefered on horseback.

[mechwar]

Thank you Jack and Bede!!

Jack, do you mean 35 or 40 cm?
I've tried this royal pattern quivers, it's 40cm long,
it's more stable and comfortable,
perhaps, an-ak mural's quiver was pretty close to this one, in functional.
but the ancient quiver seems like it has some catridge structures inside for line up the arrows.

[jack farrell]

Mechwar; Yours are becoming very handsome quivers. Indeed I meant 35 or 40 cm. I use those long thin bone beads called "hairpipe" beads as spacers, sewn between the back and front faces. To me the leather "cartridge holder" type spacer takes up too much interior space.

[mechwar]

thank you Jack!
how do you think about this one? a hunting quiver.
I think this one looks very similar!!
these modern hunting quivers can be a clue,
about ancient quivers.