Recent Unusual Book And Manuscript Acquisitions

[Randy McCall]

I recently won an auction lot of three items, which I thought I'd share with the membership for comments.

 

First items are a two-volume set titled "Shinto Oshigata Shu" by Kajima and Uchida (1935). I've touched base with Markus on this set; he hasn't seen a copy of this work before.

Being as it appears to be a somewhat fancy set, it's possible it could be a special commentary on their earlier (1928) work Shinto Meisaku Shu.

 

 

The next item is a hand-written manuscript which Markus deciphered as "Additional notes on the Kyôhô Meibutsu Chô and old meibutsu swords". Interestingly, this manuscript is signed with a kao, suggesting it may be more of a monograph rather than just a set of personal reference notes. Markus was not able to make out the author, but the work is dated Taisho 3. Comments or thoughts on the work welcomed!

 

 

I do seem to be gathering (mostly by happy accident) a nice selection of rare -- or at least unusual-- works on nihonto oshigata, with about half dating from 1620 to late Edo, and the rest generally from 1910-1938

[Toryu2020]

I have the Shinto Oshigata Shu - yours is in much better shape than mine. Since it was put out by an Osaka group the emphasis seems to be Osaka Shinto but all the big shinto names are included. There really only two sections, a listing of schools and their work-styles and then oshigata, which is the bulk of the two volumes. I find it useful when researching signatues.

What was the third item?

-t

[k morita]

Hi,

 

Congratulations, You got a manuscript of " Meibutsu-chō"(also The Kyōhō Meibutsuchō ) .

Your the Meibutsu-chō was written in 1914.

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/3810-meibutsu-cho-the-most-famous-swords-list/?hl=meibutsucho&do=findComment&comment=33230

[Randy McCall]

I have the Shinto Oshigata Shu - yours is in much better shape than mine. Since it was put out by an Osaka group the emphasis seems to be Osaka Shinto but all the big shinto names are included. There really only two sections, a listing of schools and their work-styles and then oshigata, which is the bulk of the two volumes. I find it useful when researching signatues.

What was the third item?

-t

Ah, apologies for not being clear: I was referring to the Shinto Oshigata Shu's two volumes as being two of the three items, with the third being the Meibutsucho. Thanks for the confirmation!

[Randy McCall]

Hi,

 

Congratulations, You got a manuscript of " Meibutsu-chō"(also The Kyōhō Meibutsuchō ) .

Your the Meibutsu-chō was written in 1914.

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/3810-meibutsu-cho-the-most-famous-swords-list/?hl=meibutsucho&do=findComment&comment=33230

Thank you Morita-san!

[k morita]

Hi,

The signature is difficult to read, me too.

If the signature is two letters, not three letters.　I'm not sure,the signature says 眞龍 (Shinryu). Maybe art name(GO).

 

An attached pic was deleted by k-morita.

[Randy McCall]

That's a very evocative translation, Morita-san. Particularly the somewhat eerie personal ending comment about (paraphrased) "The faint discharge of cannons can be heard in the distance". Suggesting perhaps the author was in the military, or at least lived close by a military base.

[k morita]

Hi,

I think, the author probably lived at the far place from the maneuvering ground.

Maybe a civilian.(?)

 

I changed the translation in the second line.(see attached pic.)