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GRC

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  1. Nice Jean, looks like a fun project How did you finish/patinate the surface? I'm curious to see how long it takes for rust to start showing up after daily use, with keys banging into it.
  2. Just as a side observation... this topic definitely generates some interesting discussion and brings out a lot of different viewpoints
  3. @Brian, if the romantic "owned by samurai, used in battle" is the main driving force for people collecting tsuba, then they should avoid almost every Edo period tsuba, regardless of whether they were cast or not! A significant number of the "high end" tsuba made in the late Edo period wouldn't have been worn by "samurai" anyway, and were far more likely to have been purchased by some well-to-do merchant who just wanted to flaunt their elevated financial status. My understanding of the times, is that many merchants were more affluent than the majority of samurai in those years. This is why a great number of iron-tsuba collectors almost immediately dismiss anything that was produced during the more opulent, and peaceful Edo period, when there was no military combat at all. I think that cast-iron tsuba adds an extra layer of contempt for collectors who already hold that view. I would suggest this was strongly evident in Steve's posts where the made the argument that all our time "would be better spent pursuing other areas of research". Mid to late Edo samurai were really just "samurai in name only" (should we call them "SNO"? )... They were many generations, and almost 200 years removed from their ancestors who actually saw battle. I think it would be difficult to make the case that these mid to late Edo samurai were a "warrior-class" at all. If I recall correctly, Sesko wrote that most had taken on a more bureaucratic role or were invested in non-military pursuits like literature, poetry, and painting. I assume many (most?) would still have trained in martial arts, but there were no battles, no wars, and certainly none of the romanticized "samurai" that show up in movies.
  4. Um, I would suggest that you guys are way off base in entertaining fears such as those. OK, maybe a dealer would entertain such notions, but it shouldn't make a difference to the people looking to buy tsuba. And, maybe someone who is collecting cast tsuba might benefit psychologically from that romantic attachment... but I would argue that it's only relevant to that individual. The prices of cast tsuba aren't suddenly going to increase in value simply because they were made earlier. I think you guys are maybe "jumping off a cliff" with an "extreme" extension of that idea. When they were made shouldn't make any significant real-world difference in value
  5. My response above was to Steve's post, not to Jussi @Jussi Ekholm, I did a few quick searches but stopped after the first three. I was getting inconsistent results, and just suspected something might be missing from the titles provided. But now that you've done that extensive searching (thanks!), it's far more likely to have been a construct by the AI that was "forcing" a "positive response" to the prompt I gave it to "provide references". That's a dangerous thing to have about, without providing a full disclaimer that the program will do that. Thanks again, to everyone who did some searching. It was a good "check" of the AI's potential for that type of use, and it certainly seems to have failed badly in providing genuine references.
  6. Here's my detailed response Those are fair points to consider I certainly do agree that being able to identify what is cast is more important to the collector than when it was cast.
  7. On the separate issue of "proof": If it came across as though I was using this AI-generated consensus as “definitive proof”, I apologize for that. It should be made clear to everyone, that the consensus view was generated from the information that the AI program had access to. This cannot be taken as absolute proof, unless the sources of information that it was based upon are validated. Getting many eyes to look into those sources was my attempt to “crowd-source” the task. Additionally, posting the AI-consensus served as a nice counterpoint to a post on another thread, where someone claimed the opposite idea as the consensus view, without providing any supporting references at all. As Steve was explaining in his detailed post, it is important to point out that this AI-generated consensus statement could be equally errant in its assertion. It’s only as good as its source information.
  8. Steve, there are many valid points in that post, and your frustration with the pursuit of this topic is very clear. So why should anyone pursue this topic at all? Here are some of my thoughts on this, regardless of the “value” of the objects in question… 1- It is necessary to investigating the statements about tsuba that are being stated as fact, yet do not appear to have supporting evidence. ie. dispelling the myths that are being perpetuated. This requires gathering as much evidence as possible and “letting the chips fall where they may”. If the evidence gathered ends up supporting or refuting any aspect of the existing views on the topic, or reveals that there is still no definitive answer, then why not try to find out? Gaining any knowledge at all on the topic is better than to leave it unexplored. 2- Establishing a timeline of what techniques were developed when, where and by whom, seems to be one of the main pursuits in the study of tsuba. Why would this topic be any less valid, regardless of their value, or lack there-of, in terms of their “collectability”? 3- Learning about when such techniques began or were amplified, allows for the potential to gain further insights into the cultural, technological and economic conditions that led to those technical shifts. Why wouldn’t someone want to add to that understanding? It would be adding one more piece of information into a larger whole. 4- With regard to finding and citing references. Yes, there is definitely the potential to reinforce an element of “sensei-ism”, where an initial printed statement could be propagated in publications by other authors, making the initial statement “appear” to be more valid. This is a very good good point that Steve made. However, if you don’t do a literature search, then how will get to the root of what these statements are built upon? It is entirely possible that in looking into the references which the AI is using to project a “consensus view”, we will find out whether the published statements have any supporting evidence at all. The references could end up being just another case of “so-and-so said so”. I view this as just another avenue to dig up whatever evidence is available. So again, why not look into it? Those are just my thoughts on pursuing this topic.
  9. Thanks for the update Manuel (C0D) So we can officially remove these ones: #29 & 36 (early and late editions of same book title and author) #34 #37
  10. It's a fair hypothesis Manuel (C0D), since there are some known errors with ChatGPT, but I can't imagine that all 42 references would be incorrect. That would be a colossal failure on the part of the AI algorithm. But that's also why this will be an interesting "check" on its reliability. @C0D, do you have digital copies of those 3 books that you were able to search for references to "tsuba"? I just want to make sure so we can definitely cross them off the list. Let me know, Thanks We can definitely cross off the Cooper-Hewitt reference. I searched that one digitally. It mentions cast tsuba, but it was specifically referring to castings in Yamagane, copper, and bronze. So maybe it's also including references where the words "cast" and "tsuba" in the same sentence? I wonder if I pushed the program too far by asking it to provide more and more references? Perhaps it started getting "looser" with its search constraints? Just throwing out some initial thoughts... It's also interesting to note that ChatGPT was reluctant to provide references to publications that were from the early 1900s. There's 7 examples of cast-iron tsuba listed in the Hackshaw collection, with descriptions by Henri Joly.
  11. Agreed, @ROKUJURO AI such as this one, is only as good as its source material. For example, the "worn by lower ranking samurai" statement is something we've talked about in the past, and I'd like to see some other source to corroborate that statement. That's why I "singled it out" from the rest of the summary statements. Nonetheless, it is in print, so it's a source of reference material for ChatGPT.
  12. ChatGPT is certainly not infallible, but I'm curious to see how many of the 42 references turn out to be incorrect. @C0D I did state that I had not vetted the references. I'm sure there will be some errors in there, which is why I asked for people to check to see if they have any of these references and verify/eliminate the statements from ChatGPT. For example, now we can potentially cross the "The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords" off the list. Thanks @C0D. By the way, do you have the 1968 or 1997 version? Two different editions were listed in the references, and ChatGPT pointed out that there was no reference to cast-iron tsuba in the 1968 version, but there was a reference to it in the 1997 edition. @OceanoNox: No, ChatGPT did not provide links. With regards to images, I'm sure ChaGPT can't "interpret" or analyze images, which Arnaud (C0D) also suggest. I would assume that it is only reporting "examples provided" based on descriptive captions that refer to the images in the books it is sourcing. But I don't know the details of how the algorithm works.
  13. So what exactly is your point Larason? It seems like you posted a lot of irrelevant material to point out that ChatGPt had difficulty answering one question... which is not the question being addressed in this thread. ChatGPT is only as good as the question that it is asked, and the published sources that are available for it to reference. I'm sure there's a myriad of questions you could pose to ChatGPt that would be difficult for it to answer sufficiently. On the topic of cast-iron tsuba being produced in the Edo period, however, it was very clear. The published consensus shows that cast-iron tsuba were being produced in the Edo period, and in quantity. It stated that repeatedly, with supporting references. This entire thread has established motive, opportunity, and provided ample quotes and references to support the idea. What published quote or reference has been provided anywhere to say otherwise? Again, the post-Edo argument just boils down to the opinion of a few individuals, and it has no supporting evidence other than attempts to deflect, deny, or cast doubt by using rhetoric to persuade people. I'll take the statements from ChatGPt, with 42 references (Japanese and English) over a non-expert's opinion any day. Especially when that non-expert, who specializes in a different aspect of tosugu production, has no evidence to support their claim. As I have said in the past, It's now up to the post-Edo group to start dismantling each of those references (along with the quotes from Sesko, Haynes and Lissenden, among others, that were posted earlier in this thread), or find some actual evidence to advance their position.
  14. Yes, I figured someone might say something like that... That's why I asked for people to see if they have those references and to verify the statements. However, the fact that ChatGPT specifically stated when a publication "did not directly reference cast-iron", among other statements that were listed above, gave me enough confidence in the results to at least post them here as sources to verify. However, what it does make painfully obvious is that the established consensus is that cast-iron tsuba were being produced during the Edo period. The idea that cast-iron tsuba were only produced in the Meiji era or later, is just an unsupported opinion.
  15. Looks like the right call to me too
  16. ENGLISH REFERENCE LIST: provide references for this statement: “Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward.” Here are some references to support the statement that cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period onward: 28. "Japanese Tsuba: From Simple to Ornate" by Gary Murtha (2014): This book notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period and were often used by lower-ranking samurai who could not afford tsuba made of more expensive materials like gold or silver. 29. "The Art of the Japanese Sword" by Yoshindo Yoshihara and Leon Kapp (1997): This book states that cast-iron tsuba were produced in large numbers during the Edo period, with many being made from the mid-18th century onward. 30. "The Complete Guide to Japanese Sword Polishing" by Kiyoshi Kato (2012): This book mentions that cast-iron tsuba became more common in the latter half of the Edo period, and that they were often decorated with designs that imitated other materials like gold or shakudo. 31. "Tsuba: Japanese Sword Guards" by Julia Meech-Pekarik (1986): This book discusses the history of tsuba and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period. 32. "The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords" by Kokan Nagayama (1997): This book also notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period. 33. "Japanese Sword Mounts: A Guide for Collectors and Connoisseurs" by Hiroko Kapp and Leon Kapp (2010): This book provides a detailed history of tsuba and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period. Overall, it seems that there is consensus among experts that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period. Provide more references for this statement: “Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward.” 34. "Tsuba and Japanese Sword Fittings in the Collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum" by Joe Earle (1983): This book notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period and were produced in large numbers. 35. "Japanese Sword Guards: Masterpieces of Japanese Art" by Hiroi Takahashi (2008): This book provides a detailed history of tsuba and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to their durability and low cost. 36. "The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation" by Yoshindo Yoshihara and Leon Kapp (2012): This book discusses the history of tsuba and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to advances in casting technology. Overall, these references support the idea that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period. Provide more references for this statement 37. "The Craft of the Japanese Sword" by Leon Kapp and Hiroko Kapp (2013): This book provides a detailed history of tsuba and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to their durability and affordability. 38. "Japanese Sword Guards: An Illustrated Guide for Collectors" by Ray Tsuchiyama (2017): This book provides a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to advances in casting technology and were produced in large numbers during the mid-Edo period. 39. "Japanese Sword Fittings: A Collector's Guide" by Basil William Robinson (1979): This book notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period and were often decorated with intricate designs. Overall, these references support the idea that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period due to their durability, affordability, and decorative potential. provide more references published before 1970 Finding references published before 1970 may be challenging, as most of the important works on Japanese sword fittings were published after this time. However, here are a few references that discuss cast-iron tsuba and were published before 1970: 40. "Japanese Sword-Guards" by Torigoye Yukihira (1937): This book provides a detailed history of tsuba and notes that cast-iron tsuba were produced in large numbers during the Edo period. 41. "The Japanese Sword" by Kanzan Sato (1963): This book provides a general overview of Japanese swords, including tsuba. While it does not specifically discuss cast-iron tsuba, it notes that tsuba were produced in large numbers during the Edo period. 42. "The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords" by Nagayama Kokan (1968): This book provides a detailed history of Japanese swords, including tsuba. While it does not specifically discuss cast-iron tsuba, it notes that tsuba were produced in large numbers during the Edo period. Overall, while these references do not specifically discuss cast-iron tsuba, they do support the idea that tsuba were produced in large numbers during the Edo period, which includes the mid-Edo period when cast-iron tsuba became popular. This is me writing now: At this point, I figured I would stop searching, since it started giving results that weren’t directly referencing cast-iron tsuba, just the increased production of tsuba during the Edo period.
  17. My prompts to ChatGPT are bolded. ChatGPT's responses are posted underneath and unedited. Japanese REFERENCE LIST Provide Japanese references that support the statement Here are some Japanese references that support the statement that "Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward": 1.「日本刀装具図鑑」(Nihon To Sogu Zukan) by Nobuo Ogasawara (2007): This book provides a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to their durability and affordability. 2.「刀剣の美術館」(Token no Bijutsukan) by the Tokyo National Museum (2011): This book is a catalog of the sword fittings collection at the Tokyo National Museum and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. 3.「刀剣装具の世界」(Token Sogu no Sekai) by Yukio Hirose (1995): This book provides a detailed history of Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba were produced in large numbers during the mid-Edo period. Overall, these Japanese references support the idea that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period due to their durability, affordability, and decorative potential. Provide more Japanese references that support the statement Here are some additional Japanese references that support the statement that "Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward": 4.「日本刀装具大鑑」(Nihon To Sogu Taikan) by the NBTHK (1994): This book is a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. 5.「刀剣装飾の美術史」(Token Soshoku no Bijutsushi) by the Tokyo National Museum (1982): This book provides a detailed history of Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to advances in casting technology. 6.「日本刀装具の美」(Nihon To Sogu no Bi) by the Japanese Sword Museum (2006): This book is a catalog of the sword fittings collection at the Japanese Sword Museum and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. Overall, these Japanese references provide further evidence that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period, and were an important part of the development of Japanese sword fittings. provide more Japanese references Here are some additional Japanese references that support the statement that "Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward": 7.「日本刀装飾大鑑」(Nihon To Soshoku Daikan) by Kazuo Taizawa (2009): This book provides a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to their durability and affordability. 8.「刀剣装飾大鑑」(Token Soshoku Daikan) by Kiyoshi Takahashi (1985): This book provides a detailed history of Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba were produced in large numbers during the mid-Edo period. 9.「刀剣の美術」(Token no Bijutsu) by the Japanese Sword Museum (2001): This book is a catalog of the sword fittings collection at the Japanese Sword Museum and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. Overall, these Japanese references support the idea that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period due to their durability, affordability, and decorative potential, and are an important part of the history of Japanese sword fittings. provide more Japanese references Here are some additional Japanese references that support the statement that "Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward": 10.「日本刀の鑑賞基礎知識」(Nihon To no Kansho Kiso Chishiki) by Kazuo Taizawa (2014): This book provides an introduction to Japanese swords and their fittings, and notes that cast-iron tsuba were produced in large numbers during the mid-Edo period. 11.「日本刀装具大全」(Nihon To Sogu Taizen) by Nobuo Ogasawara (1993): This book is a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. 12.「刀剣の美術」(Token no Bijutsu) by the NBTHK (2010): This book is a catalog of the sword fittings collection at the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (NBTHK) and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. Overall, these Japanese references provide further evidence that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period, and are an important part of the history of Japanese sword fittings. provide more Japanese references Here are some additional Japanese references that support the statement that "Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward": 13.「刀剣の美と文化」(Token no Bi to Bunka) by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2004): This book is a comprehensive guide to Japanese swords and their cultural significance, and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to advances in casting technology. 14.「日本刀装具の美」(Nihon To Sogu no Bi) by the Japanese Sword Museum (2018): This book is a catalog of the sword fittings collection at the Japanese Sword Museum and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. 15.「刀剣装飾の美」(Token Soshoku no Bi) by the NBTHK (2016): This book is a catalog of the sword fittings collection at the NBTHK and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. Overall, these Japanese references provide further evidence that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period, and were an important part of the development of Japanese sword fittings. provide more Japanese references Here are some additional Japanese references that support the statement that "Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward": 19.「日本刀装具の美術史」(Nihon To Sogu no Bijutsushi) by Hiroshi Hirano (1988): This book provides a detailed history of Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to advances in casting technology and changes in the social and economic environment. 20.「日本刀装具図典」(Nihon To Sogu Zuten) by the NBTHK (2015): This book is a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. 21.「日本刀装飾の技術」(Nihon To Soshoku no Gijutsu) by Masahiro Kubota (2019): This book provides an overview of the techniques used to create Japanese sword fittings, including cast-iron tsuba. Overall, these Japanese references provide further evidence that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period, and were an important part of the development of Japanese sword fittings. provide more Japanese references Here are some additional Japanese references that support the statement that “Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward”: 22.「日本刀装具の世界」(Nihon To Sogu no Sekai) by the NBTHK (2001): This book provides a comprehensive overview of Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced during the mid-Edo period due to their durability and affordability. 23.「日本刀装具の美術」(Nihon To Sogu no Bijutsu) by the Tokyo National Museum (1998): This book is a catalog of the sword fittings collection at the Tokyo National Museum and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. 24.「日本刀装具の世界展」(Nihon To Sogu no Sekai-ten) by the NBTHK (2015): This exhibition catalog includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period, and provides a detailed overview of their history and significance. Overall, these Japanese references provide further evidence that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period, and were an important part of the development of Japanese sword fittings. provide more Japanese references Here are some additional Japanese references that support the statement that "Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward": 25.「日本刀装具事典」(Nihon To Sogu Jiten) by Kazuo Taizawa (2010): This book provides a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to their durability and affordability. 26.「日本刀装具図鑑」(Nihon To Sogu Zukan) by the NBTHK (2012): This book is a comprehensive guide to Japanese sword fittings and includes several examples of cast-iron tsuba from the mid-Edo period. 27.「日本刀装飾の美術史」(Nihon To Soshoku no Bijutsushi) by the Tokyo National Museum (2012): This book provides a detailed history of Japanese sword fittings and notes that cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period due to advances in casting technology. Overall, these Japanese references provide further evidence that cast-iron tsuba were widely produced and used during the mid-Edo period, and were an important part of the development of Japanese sword fittings.
  18. I thought, "Is this for real?", “It can’t be that easy for AI to make such a bold statement about something that has been debated on NMB for years... can it?” So, I figured I should ask ChatGPT to provide references that support its statement of “Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward.” Interestingly, it provides references in sets of three, but then you can ask it to provide more, and it will. It defaults to providing references in the language that you wrote your question in, but then you can specify that it give you sources from a different language, like Japanese 😊 It also gives a short little blurb for each reference that states how the book supports the statement. Before I post the list of 42 references I gathered from ChatGPT before giving up, I thought I’d give a short summary of all the “blurbs” ChatGPT provided… This time, I will BOLD THE UNEDITED WORDS FROM ChatGPT. My words are NOT bolded: · Cast-iron tsuba became popular during the mid-Edo period. · Cast-iron tsuba were produced in large numbers during the mid-Edo period, with many being made from the mid-18th century onward. · Cast-iron tsuba were often decorated with elaborate designs. · Cast-iron tsuba became more popular at that time due to: Advances in casting technology Durability Affordability/Low cost Changes in the social and economic environment. Only one refence (in English) was described as stating: · Cast-iron tsuba were often used by lower-ranking samurai. A major point of interest is that these references include several publications from the NBTHK, the Tokyo National Museum, the Japanese Sword Museum, and the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. Some people, who are still uncertain about the possibility of cast-iron tsuba being produced during the Edo period, have been holding out for some sort of "authentication" from the NBTHK. ChatGPT listed the NBTHK as a supportive reference multiple times. It is also interesting to note that there are multiple Japanese publications that include examples of Edo-period cast-iron tsuba.
  19. So clearly, Japanese-made cast-iron ingots were widely available for use during the Edo period, making casting in iron much more accessible within Japan. I decided to ask ChatGPT about tsuba, then more specifically about cast-iron tsuba produced during the Edo period. My prompts are bolded, and ChatGPT's unedited responses are posted underneath. Do you know what a tsuba is? Yes, I do know what a tsuba is! In traditional Japanese swordsmanship, a tsuba is the handguard that sits between the hilt and the blade of a Japanese sword, such as a katana. The tsuba is typically made of metal and serves to protect the hand of the wielder from the blade, as well as to balance the sword. Often, tsuba are also ornately designed with intricate patterns or motifs, making them a beautiful piece of art as well as a functional part of the sword. Did the Japanese produce tsuba made of cast-iron during the Edo period? Yes, the Japanese did produce tsuba made of cast-iron during the Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1868. Cast-iron tsuba were especially popular from the mid-Edo period (18th century) onward.
  20. The availability of cast-iron ingots was previously left in the "unknown" category. Here is what ChatGPT found: Again, my questions and prompts are BOLDED. ChatGPT's responses are underneath each prompt from me, and I didn't change any of them. ChatGPT offers its own little summary statements after it is asked to provide references for its initial statements. Did Japan produce cast-iron ingots for commercial trade during the Edo period? Yes, Japan did produce cast-iron ingots for commercial trade during the Edo period. The production of cast iron was an important industry in Japan during this time, and cast-iron ingots were used for a variety of purposes, including the manufacture of tools, weapons, and other metal objects. One of the most important centers of cast-iron production during the Edo period was the Kamaishi region in northeastern Japan. Kamaishi was known for its high-quality iron sand, which was used in the production of cast-iron ingots. These ingots were then transported to other parts of Japan and sold for use in various industries. The production of cast-iron ingots was typically carried out by specialist ironworkers, who used traditional techniques to melt and pour the iron into molds. These ingots were often standardized in size and weight to make them easier to transport and trade. Overall, the production of cast-iron ingots was an important industry in Japan during the Edo period, and these ingots were used for a wide range of purposes both domestically and in trade with other countries. Provide references for these statements: Here are some references to support the statement that Japan produced cast-iron ingots for commercial trade during the Edo period: "Iron and Steel in the Japanese Industrial Revolution" by Richard W. Bulliet (1992): This book discusses the history of iron and steel production in Japan, including the importance of cast-iron ingots for trade. It notes that cast iron was a major export item for Japan during the Edo period, and that ingots were produced in large quantities for use in various industries. "Japanese Cast Iron: A Comprehensive Guide to Antique Tetsubin and Subtsubo" by Sandi Hopper (2017): This book provides an overview of cast-iron production in Japan, including the production of ingots. It notes that cast-iron ingots were a key component of the Japanese iron industry during the Edo period, and that they were exported to other countries as well. Provide references about the production of cast-iron ingots in Japan during the Edo period Here are some references that specifically discuss the production of cast-iron ingots in Japan during the Edo period: "The Emergence of Iron Smelting and Smithing in Japan" by J. Edward Kidder Jr. (1989): This article provides a detailed history of iron production in Japan, including the production of cast-iron ingots during the Edo period. "The Making of Iron and Steel in Japan" by Donald H. Shively (1956): This article provides an overview of iron production in Japan, including the production of cast-iron ingots during the Edo period. "Japanese Cast Iron: Origins, Production, and Significance" by David W. Johnson (1999): This article provides an overview of Japanese cast iron production, including the production of cast-iron ingots during the Edo period. "The History of Ironmaking in Japan" by Masayuki Kawaguchi (2015): This book provides a comprehensive history of iron production in Japan, including the production of cast-iron ingots during the Edo period. Overall, these references provide evidence that cast-iron ingots were an important part of Japanese iron production during the Edo period, and were produced using various techniques such as tatara ironmaking and blast furnace ironmaking.
  21. Well, I decided to see what the Artificial Intelligence program “ChatGPT” could do to search for information related to this topic. It’s astonishing how much information it was able to find from published sources. Here’s a direct copy of my interaction with the AI program. My questions are indented and bolded. ChatGPT’s response are underneath and unmodified by me. So don’t shoot the messenger, this is purely a transcript of what ChatGPT was able to find in published sources. I have not vetted any the references that it has provided. I will leave that to others to find or comment on I they already have a copy in their possession. It will be interesting to see if there any discrepancies in what was reported by ChatGPT. Here’s the link if anyone wants to explore what it has to offer. https://chatgptonline.ai/ In terms of information gathering and processing, it really is a new World…
  22. I just got a really helpful message from RKG (Richard George) on the usage of "Jakushi" vs "Wakashiba". Turns out that Wakashiba is just a variant in pronunciation of the same kanji that can also be read as Jakushi. Jakushi is the correct pronunciation. Thanks for that Richard!
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