12. About Wild Game Leather, Part 3: Deer
This is the second post about deer leather. This time, I'd like to write a little about "the Japanese and deer leather."
In my previous post I mentioned that it is "a traditional natural leather that has long been favored in Japan for armor, weaponry, tabi socks and more," but why was deer used so often, rather than cattle, horses or other animals?
It seems to be closely related to the unique characteristics of deer leather.
First, deer leather has the characteristic of not hardening easily even when it dries after getting wet.
With cowhide and horsehide, when the leather dries after absorbing moisture such as rain or sweat, the collagen fibers set and the leather becomes rock-hard. On the battlefield, if your movement were restricted because your gear had soaked up rain, sweat or mud, that could lead directly to death.
Deer leather stays soft even after getting wet and drying, and this may be the biggest feature that sets it apart from cowhide and horsehide.
For armor materials and for tabi, which must not chafe the feet, this property of "not hardening when damp" can be said to be absolutely essential.
Second is its smoothness.
A large panel of deer leather called "tsurubashiri" is attached to the chest of a suit of armor. It was devised so that when a bow is drawn, the string slides smoothly even if it rubs against the armor, and the arrow can be released without catching on metal fittings. It is truly the right material in the right place, making the most of deer leather's smoothness.
A large panel of deer leather called "tsurubashiri" is attached to the chest of a suit of armor. It was devised so that when a bow is drawn, the string slides smoothly even if it rubs against the armor, and the arrow can be released without catching on metal fittings. It is truly the right material in the right place, making the most of deer leather's smoothness.
Its fluffy softness and smooth feel are unique to deer leather, so it was also used for the lining of armor and for kote (armored gloves).
Even today it is used in parts that touch the skin directly, such as the "yugake," the glove-like piece worn on the right hand in kyudo (Japanese archery), and the "muneate" chest guard worn by female archers to protect the chest from the friction of the bowstring. Deer leather, said to be the closest to human skin, is said to prevent blisters and chafing on the feet and hands thanks to its second-skin fit.
Third is its excellent breathability.
Deer leather is light and soft, yet highly breathable, letting moisture escape while retaining just the right amount of suppleness. That makes it a perfect material for tabi: it doesn't get stuffy and is less prone to deterioration from humidity. Incidentally, until the early Edo period, it was apparently standard for tabi to be made of deer leather.
The major turning point at which tabi shifted from deer leather to cotton was the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657.
Following this great fire, demand for deer leather surged for leather haori coats, a type of fire-protective clothing, and the price of deer leather soared. As a result, the tabi of commoners and ordinary samurai switched to cotton, and it is said that this has continued to the present day.
Today, tabi worn with kimono are made of cotton, so it's interesting that they were once made of deer leather.
A fourth reason deer leather was used so widely is the environmental background.
In Japan at the time, cattle and horses were important sources of power for farming and transportation, the equivalent of today's trucks, tractors and bulldozers.
Since they were valuable assets, there was likely a very high hurdle to slaughtering and butchering them for consumption.
On the other hand, wild deer were far more numerous and were a familiar game animal, so historically deer seem to have been used far more abundantly than cattle or horses.
Finally, a side note: in Japan, deer were used not only for leather and food, but their antlers were also put to great use.
Being extremely hard, antlers were used for weapons and armor, as well as for ornaments such as kimono netsuke, hairpins and sword pommels, for practical items such as seals and fishhooks, and they were even decocted or powdered for use in Kampo and other herbal medicines.
Nothing went to waste, and deer have been used in a wide range of fields since ancient times. It's fascinating to see how much closer deer were to people's lives than they are today.
このストーリーに関連する商品
SKU: 11drops_twist_cml
PRODUCT TYPE: Small Goods
VENDOR: 11DROPS
A key holder combining leather and wood in a twisting form.Carrying a message of striving for harmony between people and nature, this key holder's distinctive design fits the palm better than it appears and offers a practical, easy grip.To use...
¥9,900
SKU: 11drops_port_brd
PRODUCT TYPE: Small Goods
VENDOR: 11DROPS
A smart business card case with a slim, gusset-free construction that still holds up to about 30 business cards.Made as a ramuno exclusive in fine deer leather with a smooth, supple feel.Thanks to its distinctive flap-pocket construction, the card compartment...
¥12,100