SW002 ‘Ashigaru Archer Making Ready’ (Western Army)

     This standing ready archer is carrying a small, rectangular flag on his back called a ‘Sashimono’.  Primarily used during the ‘Sengoku Period’ (15th-17th Centuries), they served as crucial military identification on chaotic battlefields.

These small flags usually displayed a ‘clan’ symbol or specific colours to distinguish different units enabling commanders to identify who was who amidst the chaos.