Late 18th/ early 19th Century Korean throwing star. formerly owned by Seon Monk (Korean Buddhist)
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Product details
I had been searching for an antique throwing stars, internationally, for 40 (forty) years. Besides the ones in the Kyoto Ninja museum in Japan, I have only found this one, which I discovered about a year ago. The reason for their rarity is that they are considered throw away items. This one is possibly unique, also bearing in mind that it was once the property of a Seon Monk (Korean Buddhist monk). Sunmudo, the Seon Monk martial art (The Way of War of the Seon), encompasses the use of a throwing star. Throwing stars are normally used to distract the enemy, and this one would have whistled, due to the hole in one of the blades. It is from the late18th / early 19th century.
Normally all throwing stars are undecorated due to the fact that they were throw away items. This one is intricately decorated with dragons. The art style of the dragons is Korean, and only someone like a monk would have gone to the trouble of decorating a throwing star, which is normally considered a throw away item.
This is probably the only surviving copy of a throwing star owned by a Seon Monk. Hence the price.