JAPAN
Polearm (naginata)
blade, 1550-1650; mounts, 1750-1850Steel, iron, wood, rattan, copper alloy, red lacquer | 241.0 cm x 3.0 x 3.0 cm (whole object) | RCIN 62620
Polearms were among the principal weapons used by Japanese foot soldiers. Wielded with a cutting motion, they were an effective weapon against massed ranks of infantry or cavalry.