Anthony J. Bryant

Author of Osprey books on Japanese military history

by Lillian Csernica

The Japanese call him aoi-me no katchu-shi, the "blue-eyed armor maker." In America he's known as Anthony J. Bryant, one of the foremost non-asian authorities on the making of Japanese armor.

Bryant's interest in history led him to join the SCA at sixteen in the kingdom of Trimaris, Principality of Meridies, (aka Florida). There he held every position of herald except that of Principle Herald. After graduating from Florida State University, he did his graduate work in Japanese studies (history, language, and armor) at Takoshoku University in Tokyo. He joined the Japan Association for Arms and Armor Preservation and was one of only four non-asian members.

Bryant continued his SCA activities, becoming Baron of the Far West, an area encompassing Japan, Korea, the Phillipines, and Guam. Bryant is known in the SCA as Master Edward of Effingham, a court baron currently living in the Kingdom of the Middle. In addition to the Order of the Pelican for his work in heraldry, he has received the Order of the Rose Leaf from the Kingdom of the West for his achievements in the arts and sciences, specifically for calligraphy, illumination, costuming, and of course his spectacular Japanese armor.

Bryant recently moved from California to Delaven, Wisconsin to take over as the Editor of Dragon and associate editor of Dungeon Magazines for TSR. His only complaint is the lack of really good Oriental restaurants in his neighborhood.

He is the only SCA member to have written for the prestigious Osprey Books series on military history. His fourth book, Sekigahara 1600, was published last year. It tells the story of the most important and decisive battle in the history of Japan. Tony Bryant carefully researched all the events and political maneuvering that led up to the final battle. Sekigahara was one of the bloodiest battles of all time. By the end of the day 40,000 heads had been taken by the victors. In comparison, 43,000 Northern and Southern troops were killed over the course of several days at Gettysburg. Sekigahara 1600, is one of a few English language books to cover the subject of Japanese battlefield tactics. Bryant also looks into the motivations of the various commanders and the relationships of the nobles that fought on both sides to explain their courage or cowardice that day. Sekigahara 1600, reads like a novel filled with fascinating and ruthless characters. The plot unfolds like a multi-petalled flower. With more than 90 photographs, paintings, charts and maps, it is an excellent resource for re-enactors.

During his stay in Japan, Bryant spent most of his spare time with his armor teacher in Kozan-do, the replica armor shop which produced the suit worn by Toshiro Mifune in Shogun.

Bryant doesn't make and sell Japanese armor, but instead prefers to build armor for research and his own pleasure. When I visited Bryant for the purpose of this article he was working on two suits of armor, a 12th century o-yoroi and a 16th century nuinobe-do. When Bryant makes a suit of 12th century Japanese armor, he begins by overlapping rawhide zane (scales) and lacing them into strips called kozane. He then laces the kozane horizontally into boards using braided silk cord or leather, with an over-under lacing pattern. These boards will become the do, (chest armor), kusazuri (tassets), and sode (shoulder plates), on the o-yoroi (great armor). Before the 12th century the scales were as much as two or three inches across. As time passed, they were made smaller and smaller. The scales could only be made from the thickest portion of the hide. Since cattle were scarce, it took up to three years to accumulate enough rawhide to make an entire suit. When armorers switched from single overlapping scales to double-overlapping, they were able to use all of the hide and complete suits more rapidly. The o-yoroi worn by mounted warriors in the 7th to 8th centuries weighed from 24 to 35 pounds.

A series of four pairs of holes in the lower half of the zane were designed for binding kozane into boards. Bryant laces the boards together to form the box-like do or cuirass. The larger holes on the upper half of the top row of scales allow Bryant to suspend the kusazuri boards from the do with silk or leather cords. Bryant says that though the rest of the suit may be laced with any color, the bottom kozane were always laced with bright red or orange. The red against the black lacquer made an impressive effect.

While the early period kozane had been lacquered then laced into boards, later suits were made of boards lacquered after they were laced together. The resulting rigidity provided better protection against the weather and weapons, but it did reduce the warriors mobility slightly. Most suits of armor were made primarily of leather kozane, with concentrations of metal scales at the key stress and attack points. Sometimes the leather was gilded to indicate the warrior's importance. The chest plate was covered with leather to prevent the scales from snagging the bowstring. This covering was called the tsirabashiri and was usually painted with ornate illustrations of deities, dragons or flowers.

Bryant enjoys working with later period armor styles like those worn during the time of the battle of Sekigahara. By the 16th century, Japanese armorers had developed a faster style where kiri-tsuke zane (solid strips) were carved and built up with lacquer to give the appearance of individual scales.

Pictured to the right is an authentic nuinobe-do, a cuirass that Bryant made. On the left, the back of the do is shown with only the primary lacings that hold the kiri-tsuke zane together. After the primary lacing is done, he weaves silk cords through the holes until the armor is covered with many rows of bright red silk cord (the armor piece to the right).

Tony Bryant is a frequent speaker at conventions including Gencon and Baycon where he speaks on writing non-fiction books, the business of writing, and military history. Sekigahara 1600 and many other Osprey Books are available from Chivalry Sports.

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This page was last updated Tuesday, 27-May-2003 13:20:32 EDT