Interesting Document On Yoshitsune

[Guest Rayhan]

Hi all

 

Leaving an interesting find here for everyone. If anyone has any further clarification or information please add it here. Enjoy.

 

UNKNOWN Japanese ARTIST.  Minamoto Yoshitsune Ason kachu zu. Document dates from 1800 - 1830 AD 

This is a document relating to the famous Minamoto Yoshitsune (1159-1189), the victorious military commander during the  Gempei wars and a swordsman of legendary fame. His life and death have become immortalised in literature, including several Noh and Kabuki plays. The short text in the beginning of the sword document is entitled: “Old honourable Sword”: It states that that Yoshitsune owned this old sword, and explains the provenance as follows: A merchant in Nara called Kogawa had owned this sword, and he took it to Edo and showed it to a Megata Nagato-no-kami. Megata wanted to own the sword, and Kogawa presented it to him. In December of the first year of Genbun (1736) Sakai Harima-no-kami purchased it from Megata. Ohara Mamori from Hoki prefecture had previously verified the authenticity of the sword.

Some elements of the armour correspond to the National treasure kept in the Kasuga Shrine in Nara, for example the decorative tatemono on the helmet and the red threads (akaitodoshi) but others don’t. The scroll showing the sword is painted almost on a 1:1 scale. It shows both the blade as well as the sword with all its fittings. It is of tachi type (great sword), and its length is given at 3shaku 6sun 1bu (about 127cm) which is unusually long. Due to Yoshitsune’s fame samurai families vied with each other as to who held his original suit of armour or/and his sword. This manuscript beautifully documents these aspirations.

 

[Guest Rayhan]

Enhanced photo of sword, sorry for the bad quality