Uma-jirushi (馬印, horse insignia) were massive flags used in feudal Japan to identify adaimyō or equally important military commander on the field of battle. They came into prominence during theSengoku period. While many were simply large flags, not very different fromsashimono orhata-jirushi, most were three-dimensional figures, more like kites, and in the shape of bells, gongs, umbrellas, or streamers.
While these standards took many forms, they all fall into two broad categories: theō-uma-jirushi and theko-uma-jirushi, the great standard and the lesser standard respectively. Poorerdaimyo had just one, the lesser standard, while wealthierdaimyo had both. In 1645, theTokugawa shogunate formalized this, allowingdaimyo with an income above 1300koku to have ako-uma-jirushi, anddaimyo earning more than 6000koku to have anō-uma-jirushi as well.
Theō-uma-jirushi was the nucleus of action on the battlefield, and while it aided the organization and morale of friendly troops, it also attracted the attention of enemy warriors. The carrier of theuma-jirushi, therefore, was arguably the most dangerous position to be in on the field. Theō-uma-jirushi was sometimes held in a leather bucket attached to the carrier's belt; the especially large ones would often be securely strapped into a carrying frame on the warrior's back. The carrier was provided with ropes to steady the standard in the wind, or while running.
In the mid-1600s, a monk called Kyūan completed a text calledO Uma Jirushi, a comprehensive illustrated survey of theheraldry of his time. This text describes the heraldry of most, if not all, of the major samurai families of the battles of theSengoku period. The text still survives today, and remains one of the chief sources of heraldic information available today on this period in Japan.
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