Online Kantei Site For Edo Period Oshigata Notebook Open

[Randy McCall]

Hello everyone.  As promised in the Releasing Digital Copies Of Edo Period(?) Oshigata Notebook thread, I've set up a website where interested members can examine the pages of the oshigata notebook and attempt kantei / identification of them.

As this notebook contains oshigata of many Juyo class blades -- identified by NMB member Darcy over a few hours one afternoon -- it suggests there may be oshigata of  other rare blades contained in it's pages.  Various members have commented on how nihonto craftsmen often took the oshigata of blades they worked on;  the fact this notebook has so many daimyo class blades in it suggests the author was a craftsman with a very exclusive clientele, likely to own with very high quality blades.
 
The URL for the website is:  http://hidensho.com/

The site is visible only to registered users.   If interested in observing or taking part in the kantei project, please PM me your preferred user name and an e-mail address.  I'll add you to the site's list of users;  once entered, the site will automatically email you your basic log-in information, including allowing you to change your password. 

At this point of time only some 10 pages have been entered, with the oshigata images numbered for easy reference;  I'll add a few more each day.  Once you log in, the home page of the explains how the site functions (users of NMB shouldn't have any issues), 

 

Looking forward to hearing from you

[Randy McCall]

At total of 25 pages from the notebook are now uploaded, comprising 100 oshigata.  This is approximated 20% of the manuscript.

Thus far six NMB members have registered;  I'd like to encourage others to join, if only to observe.  One example page w/ numbered oshigata below...

 

[Randy McCall]

Some items have already had their smith identified w/ many thanks to Jussi :

Page 3

Oshigata 4:  濃州関住兼友 Nōshū Seki-jū Kanetomo
Oshigata 5:  和泉守兼重 Izumi no Kami Kaneshige

Oshigata 6:  備州長船則光 Bishū Osafune Norimitsu

Oshigata 7:  文明十年八月日 Bunmei jū nen hachi gatsu hi
Oshigata 8:  近江守法城寺橘正弘 Ōmi no Kami Hōjōji Tachibana Masahiro

Page 4

Oshigata 9:  備州長船則光 Bishū Osafune Norimitsu

 

And may I say, Go Jussi!!  

[Randy McCall]

FYI, I will be using the Hidensho website blog ( look in the left-hand CONTENTS column > Click on Special Pages > Click on Blog ) to track kantei updates, just to make it easier for people to keep up with the entries. 

[Brian]

Just a note, my registration email never came through for some reason. Wonder if others had the same problem?

[Randy McCall]

Just a note, my registration email never came through for some reason. Wonder if others had the same problem?

 

I've resent the welcome mail, Brian;  it should be in your inbox by the time you read this (the system already emailed me confirmation).  Most people haven't had an issue, but there was one other person who this happened to.  The message I resent to them got through. 

 

I wonder if you could check your email spam filter to see if the message was classed as spam? 

 

Addendum:  I had tested the site with some dummy accounts before launch, but as I've added some plugins -- and as we know, new plugins can cause system conflicts -- I just ran a retest.  All the initial welcome and all resent welcome emails got through to the different email accounts. 

[Randy McCall]

Another 10 pages have been added (pages 26-35), bringing the total number of oshigata to 133.  Many of the new oshigata include rubbings of horimono.

[Randy McCall]

Two items of note have come up in my research on the notebook:

 

In double checking the manuscript, I discovered several pages stuck together, meaning entirely new oshigata have been discovered.  I'm photographing them and adding them to the Notebook Kantei website, which will become the definitive collection on the notebook.  These brand new pages will be marked with an asterisk * in the page title to make them easy to locate

This is also causing me to do an oshigata recount, so I am in the process of renumbering them and updating the pages to take into account the new additions.  This will be a work-in-process.    The page marked "Last updated count page" is the latest page I've done the recount;  that page and earlier are good to go.

Interestingly, my closer inspection of the notebook also provided some new insights.  A number of pages have oshigata which actually run off the page edges, either continuing well into the spine binding area, or running off on the outside edge of the page, with characters and details cut in half.   Certainly the binding area would not have been available for the rubbing process, nor does it make sense to preserve half-a-rubbing, with unreadable characters. 

This strongly suggests that the contents have at been rebound, likely from a slightly larger and older format book (accordian fold), with additional  possibility the book is actually a  conversion from a scroll format (both were commonly done in the Edo and Meiji periods).   As the book has a Meiji-Taisho era cover, it now seems very likely the contents are much older.

[Randy McCall]

At the request of a couple of members, concerned that their work on the Oshigata Notebook site might be appropriated without their permission, I've enable several security features which prevent users from copying content.

[Randy McCall]

The renumbering of pages / oshigata is finished, and another 11 pages have been added, bringing the total number of rubbings to 290.

Of note, I've found proof showing it's very likely at least the first section of the notebook is actually a converted scroll.  Pages 62 and 63 comprise one leaf of the book;  one half of an image is found on page 62, the other half on page 63.  Remember that this notebook isn't printed, so it makes no sense this rubbing appears that way. 

Now, a bit of background history.  Heavy, non-absorbent paper which allowed writing on both sides was very expensive in old Edo, and often reserved for religious or government purposes.  A much lighter, much more absorbent paper was used by the average person.  This paper was so absorbent, you couldn't write on both sides;  the ink would come right through.  In order to get around this for creating notebooks, papermakers would take a long, continuous sheet of paper, then fold the paper, with each fold in the opposite direction (known as "mountain and valley" folding, creating a fan-folded stack (see image, Click to enlarge)



This stack would then be bound on one side (with string, glue or both), creating a "pouch-page" book where the two sides of each leaf was actually two separate layers of the long folded sheet. (image, Click to enlarge)



This form of binding was often used to convert an important older scroll into a more accessible and easier to read book format.  The scroll would be folded using the first method (mountain and valley folding), then bound.  However, because the content on the scroll would not be perfectly aligned to the folds, you'd often see content either running off the page into the binding area, or it would be "broken" in half by the outer fold. 

Both conditions are found in certain pages of the book.  I've mentioned previously that there are oshigata which "disappear" into the binding area.  Today I noted that on pages 62 and 63 (the two sides of a single "pouch" leaf), a rubbing is cut in half by the outter edge page fold. See below where I match the images of a oshigata om page 62 (right side of image) and page 63 (left side of image).. again, both sides just one leaf/page.

 

 

I've also noted there is a different in paper from the first section of the book to later pages.  Additionally there are differences in handwriting and rubbing styles as the pages progress.  The book appears to be in sections, with many blank pages between sections;  I'll be noting the sections in the menu on the website. 

This suggests the first continuous section of the notebook is likely a converted older scroll, followed with "newer" pages added when the conversion took place.  The later sections are in the different hand(s), again suggesting either multiple people had access to this notebook during one period, or this was a generational artifact. 

One way of approximately dating the first section would be to determine the latest period sword / smith appearing in it.  While not definitive by any means, it would certainly suggest a time frame the author was working before... eg, if no Shinshinto smiths are found, there would be a suggestion the author was making the rubbings prior to that period. 

[Brian]

Loving the way you think, analyze and research

[Randy McCall]

With thanks to NMB user Wim Vanspeybrouck, the following oshigata on the Hidensho site have been identified:

 

Page 46  #180
 

Page 48  #190
 

Page 50  #193  #194
 

Page 51  #198
 

Page 54  #210  #211
 

Page 65  #260

[Randy McCall]

My apologies for those trying, but unable, to reach the Kantei site at hidensho.com.  My service provider is having some critical issues, which has had the site down hours at a time, three out of the last four days.  At this point I'm having a serious conversation with them.  Hopefully things will be resolved shortly.

[Randy McCall]

The following oshigata now have notations, thanks to Wim Vanspeybrouck:
 

Page 1: Oshigata #2
 

Page 4: Oshigata #13
 

Page 5: Oshigata #14

 

Thus far, smiths listed include: 

• Bishu Osafune Jyu Kagemasa
• Bishu Osafune Jyu Motoshige
• Bishū Osafune Norimitsu (several)
• Bunmei jū nen hachi gatsu hi
• Bushū Edo-jū Fujiwara Kunimasa
• Echizen no Kuni-jū Kanenori
• Hizen (no) Kuni Jyu
• Hōshū Takada-jū Shizutoyo
• Izumi no Kami Kaneshige
• Kanesada saku
• Kaneyoshi
• Kyōtoku ni nen ni gatsu hi
• Morimitsu
• Nagamitsu
• Nōshū Seki-jū Kanetomo
• Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro
• Ōmi no Kami Hōjōji Tachibana Masahiro
• Ōyama-jū Kanetomo
• Sanemitsu
• Taira Katsumori

Pro Tip:  To quickly get a list of most recent analysis and comments by going to the site home page, looking to the right-hand column, and clicking on RECENT COMMENTS IN THIS DOCUMENT.  This will show the 10 most recent.  You can view the page in question by clicking on the SEE IN CONTEXT link just under each comment. 

 

Some of these blades additional inscriptions, such as description of length, etc.

[Randy McCall]

At the request of a number of people, the kantei comments on the Hidensho.com site are now visible to all viewers.  Copy protections will, however, remain in place.

[Randy McCall]

Thanks to NMB members Wyn and Jussi, all oshigata on the first 9 pages of the manuscript have been identified, along with another 20 or so others spread throughout the rest of the notebook.  Verified omote/ura pairs are marked.

 

A work-in-progress list of all identified smiths will be found under the "Oshigata Smith Listing" tab, located in the right-hand-column of the home page only. Direct link:  http://hidensho.com/oshigata-smiths-index/

 

As of today, the general public can sign up to receive email notifications of the latest kantei additions, site updates, historical views of oshigata smiths, manuscript analysis, etc..  These items will appear in our blog;  subscribers will receive notifications of new blog posts, listed by category.

Anyone interested can subscribe / unsubscribe on the hidensho.com web site by clicking on the "Site Update Notifications" tab.  Registered users are automatically subscribed, but will find a link under this tab which allows them to unsubscribe, or control options for what topics they receive notification on, and how they receive receive them.

[Randy McCall]

With thanks to Hidensho and NMB member maurice_lmb for his kantei contributions, listed below:

• Page 7:  Confirmation of Oshigata #22, 23
• Page 10:  Oshigata #31
• Page 16:  Oshigata #55, 56, 57
• Page 17:  Oshigata #59, 60
• Page 18:  Oshigata #66
• Page 19:  Oshigata  #68, 69, 70, 71, 72
• Page 20:  Oshigata #74, 75, 76
• Page 25:  Oshigata #96
• Page 40:  Oshigata #153, 154
• Page 51:  Oshigata #197, 198

 

Site Update

 

All identified oshigata are now visible on their pages, directly under the manuscript page image.  You can click on the oshigata description to open the commenting box if you wish to discuss the blade or oshigata, add information, suggest alternatives, or supply some history or interesting information.  Any factual information or comments will be added to the visible oshigata description.

 

I am in the process of enlarging the Oshigata Smith Listing page.  Eventually links will be added beside each smith;  one link will automatically show a listing of all pages of this site where the smith’s name is mentioned.  Another link will lead to a history / description of that smith, mostly using Markus Sesko’s excellent Genealogies and Schools of Japanese Swordsmiths

[Randy McCall]

Credit to HIdensho.com and NMB member maurice_lmb for his latest kantei work on the following oshigata from the Edo period oshigata manuscript:

 

Page 2: Oshigata #3

 

Page 10: Oshigata #33

 

Page 12: Oshigata #40, 42

 

Page 14: Oshigata #48, 49, 50, 52

 

Page 15: Oshigata #52

 

Additional note: All smiths listed in our Oshigata Smith Listing now have an automated search link beside their name, to enable users to quickly locate the oshigata by specific smiths.

Some of the latest kanteied oshigata do not yet have their smith's listed in the Listing. These will be added shortly.

[Randy McCall]

NMB and Hidensho.com members Jussi Ekholm and Wim Vanspeybrouck have been working hard over the last few days, doing kantei for dozens of oshigata.  Updated pages and oshigata are listed below. 

 

Oshigata numbers in black are credited to Jussi.  Numbers underlined are credited to Wim.  You can also to the actual manuscript page and click on the kantei entry to open the Comments box to see who provided the translation, as well as additional comments, request for aid, discussion on translation, etc.

 

They have also confirmed nearly a dozen omote / ura oshigata pairs.  These pairs are now marked on the manuscript photograph for easy reference.

Page 10:  Oshigata #32, 33

 

Page 11:  Oshigata #36, 37

 

Page 12:  Oshigata #39, 41

 

Page 13:  Oshigata #44, 45, 46, 47

 

Page 14:  Oshigata #51

 

Page 17:  Oshigata #58, 61

 

Page 18:  Oshigata #62, 63, 64, 65, 66

 

Page 20:  Oshigata #73, 77

 

Page 21:  Oshigata #78, 79, 80, 81

 

Page 53:  Oshigata #204, 205, 206, 207, 208

[k morita]

Hi,

I'm most interested in #260 of page 65 on your oshigata book now.
This sword(Important cultural properties) was nicknamed "Mikaeri/Mikaeri-Motoshige" (見返り元重).
I think this Oshigata will be a original shape of the tang before suriage(shortened blade) when around 1868.

[John A Stuart]

What is meant by 見返り in this case? "you get what you deserve"? or just "reward"? John

[k morita]

Hi,

 

"Mikaeri" means Turn one's face [head]/Looking back.

[John A Stuart]

Ah, thank you. John

[Guido]

Mikaeri 見返 - "looking back" – a passer-by will not realize he has been cut by it, but will fall in half when turning back.

 

Presented by the Hosokawa to Sakai Tadayoshi. It was stolen in 1986 from the Sakai family, but retrieved under undisclosed circumstances.

[Randy McCall]

Thanks Morita-san for providing the history of this blade.  Also to Guido for the appropriate literary reference.  I'll add this information to the information on #260. 

Not only is this an important piece of historical fact, it starts to help define the age of the manuscript:  in this case making it earlier than 1868. 

[Randy McCall]

The latest site update on the Hidensho kantei site, where I've posted K Morita's and Guido Schiller's above research.  Additionally, with the kind permission of Darcy Brockbank, I've posted his research and identification of  Juyo class blade oshigata from this thread.

 

Credit for their research is listed in the Comments area for each oshigata.

 

_______
 

Thanks to the scholarship of NMB members Darcy and K Morita, a number of oshigata have been identified which are listed today as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, or having been judged by the NBTHK as being of Juyo Token or Tokubetsu Juyo Token rank.
 

Research credited to Darcy

 

Page 9:   Oshigata #29 - Posted by Wim, verifying the research of Darcy:  This sword is a gassaku work of Yosozaemon and Genbei Sukesada and was designated Juyo Token in session 10.

 

Page 60: Oshigata #236 - Granted Juyo Token status by the NBTHK in Juyo Session 13.

 

Page 62: Oshigata #246 - Granted Juyo Token (Important Work — highest quality artistry) status by the NBTHK in Juyo Session 55.  Oshigata #247 - Granted Juyo Token (Important Work — highest quality artistry) status by the NBTHK in Juyo Session 8

 

Page 63: Oshigata #248 - Granted Juyo Token (Important Work — highest quality artistry) status by the NBTHK in Juyo Session 16

 

Page 64: Oshigata #257 - Granted Juyo Token (Important Work — highest quality artistry) status by the NBTHK in Juyo Session 18, and Tokubetsu Juyo Token (Extraordinarily Important Work) in Juyo session 3


Research credited to K Morita
 

Page 65:  Oshigata #260 - Morita-san was able to identify this as being taken from a sword declared an Important Cultural Property.  Presented by the Hosokawa clan to Sakai Tadayoshi.  The rubbing here shows the full, original nakago (tang).  Historically, the sword had the nakago shortened (suriage) around 1868, thus this oshigata preserves the historical image of the nakago as it was.
 

NMB member Guido Schiller was able to supply a literary reference to the odd name inscribed on the nakago, the name of the blade, which refers to an old saying about the sharpness of a blade: Mikaeri 見返 – “looking back” – “A passer-by will not realize he has been cut by it, but will fall in half when turning back”

 

[Randy McCall]

The latest update:  Wim Vanspeybrouck has added the following new oshigata descriptions to the hidensho.com Edo period oshigata manuscript kantei site.  Additionally, the Smith's Listing has been updated, and now has 61 individual smiths indexed, with search links allowing users to easily find pages where oshigata for their works are listed.

 

Page 15:  Oshigata #53, 54 (supplying the smith's name in kanji)

 

Page 22:  Oshigata #84, 85, 86

 

Page 23:  Oshigata #88, 89, 90, 91

 

Page 24:  Oshigata #92, 93, 94

 

Page 25:  Oshigata #97, 98

 

Page 26:  Oshigata #101

 

Page 27:  Oshigata #104, 105

 

Page 28:  Oshigata #107

 

Page 84:  Oshigata #336, 337

[Wim V]

That's excellent research work Morita-san!

 

 

This explains to me why I could not find this blade in the existing references.  I was looking for a signed Motoshige blade with a length of 2.75 shaku (83,3 cm), as indicated next to the oshigata.  The current length of the Mikaeri Motoshige is 70,0 cm (according to Showa Dai Meito Zufu).

 

 

It's a pity that there is no oshigata of the ura side in the oshigata book.  It would have been very nice to know the original date inscription (assuming there was a date inscription before the orikaeshi took place of course).

[Randy McCall]

With thanks to NMB member David McDonald for the following kantei additions, which include the appropriate Hawley's Smith indices and an estimation of which smiths in a linage were likely to have done the work.

 

Page 85:  Oshigata #338, 339, 340, 341

Page 87:  Oshigata #347