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Releasing Digital Copies Of Edo Period(?) Oshigata Notebook

Randy McCall
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Markus Mentor

Markus

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In my guess, family name Mitsuya is Mitsuya Miyamatsu(三矢宮松) ,Miyamatsu was a scholar of swords.

Mitsuya Shigematsu was an elder brother of Mitsuya Miyamatsu.

 

Excellent news! I didn't know about Miyamatsu. I just arrived at Shigematsu by doing a quick search of the stamp.

  • 1 month later...
Randy McCall Proficient

Randy McCall

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Just a quick update.  With thanks to several NMB members who've offered advice, have given referrals, offered to act as personal references, or offered direct assistance, there are now several avenues being pursued in an attempt to identify the original author of this manuscript. Any information received will be shared here.

In the discussion thread, Darcy mentioned that if a group of members took a few pages each, most of the oshigata could be identified in short order.  If any members are interested in taking part in such a group project, please contact me either here or via PM. 

Also, a note of clarification:  the oshigata .pdf file displays only those pages of the notebook which contained actual rubbings or text.  This was done for sake of brevity and a concern for finished file size.  The notebook is actually divided (more or less) into sections, with many blanks pages between the groupings of oshigata, obviously leaving pages for new rubbings to be added in the "categories".  From my estimate, the notebook is roughly 100 leaves (200 pages), of which -- very roughly -- something over half have rubbings. 

Randy McCall Proficient

Randy McCall

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John, Kunitaro

As the file is quite large at almost 300 megs, I have to use a file-sharing service to relay it. The service only allows the file to be available for a week at a time. Give me a few days to see if we have anyone else interested, then I'll re-upload the file and send you the password information etc. 

  • Like 2
Surfson Grand Master

Surfson

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Hi Randy.   I am interested in receiving it too.   Just stumbled on this wonderful thread.  What a great find!   Talk about being published posthumously.....  Do we have any idea when it was published?   i have a hand published book from the turn of the last century on fittings.  it might be worth giving it a similar treatment.  Cheers, bob

Randy McCall Proficient

Randy McCall

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Hi Randy.   I am interested in receiving it too.   Just stumbled on this wonderful thread.  What a great find!   Talk about being published posthumously.....  Do we have any idea when it was published?   i have a hand published book from the turn of the last century on fittings.  it might be worth giving it a similar treatment.  Cheers, bob

 

 

There's no date in the book itself, but by identifying the author we should be able to narrow down the time period it was made over.  The seller I acquired it through -- very reputable -- stated it was Edo period in origin.  My research has shown the style of cover and quality of paper in the book could be found anywhere from around 1820-1900, with differing degrees of availability.  The paper is very fine and thin, and the page folding and binding is accordion-style, one of the oldest styles of Japanese binding, but also one which was produced by craftsmen throughout the Edo and Meiji periods.

 

One your book:  I'm sure Brian and the NMB members would be thrilled to have access to another original work.    Meantime, I've put your name on my distribution list for when I upload the file in the next few days. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...
Randy McCall Proficient

Randy McCall

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Just a note to inform everyone that, thanks to the assistance of a NMB member, a letter was sent to high ranking members of the NBTHK some months back, seeking their assistance in identifying the author. 

Unfortunately no response has been received, so at this point I have to believe they are unable to help us.

I am considering placing the images from the notebook on a site I am developing.  The format of the site is designed to facillitate cooperative group translation projects, on a page-by-page basis w/ each page having an area for multiple translations and discussion of same.  This should be easily convertible to group oshigata analysis.

That is, if there is an interest from group members in working on such a project.  If you would be interested, please let me know. 

Jussi Ekholm Veteran

Jussi Ekholm

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I could jump in on a group project like that. Sounds like fun and I guess I might actually be of some use. :D I could tackle some easy to low medium stuff and leave difficult stuff to more qualified folks. :)

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Randy McCall Proficient

Randy McCall

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I"ll take the next week or so to finish up the translation website and load the first 10 - 20 page images, then make an announcement on NMB for those who are interested in participating or watching the results. 

The site will be running on Wordpress;   the content system requires you to register to be able to access the main working functions (for each user to provide translation / analysis, plus access to the page discussion area).  To make my life easier, everyone who wants access will have to register... but once everything on a page is identified (or at least noted as unidentifiable), I'll post it to an area here on NMB. 

A quick explanation of how the content system works:  Each page of the book will have it's own entry, with a picture of the page at top, areas below where each user's analysis will appear, and with a tab function allowing quick access to a general discussion area for that page, where people can comment, debate kantei, give references, etc. 

The system itself is pretty intuitive for use (a large number of online group translation projects use this CMS) but fairly bare-bones in appearance, looking and operating much like a wiki, so it won't be pretty. 

I'll post in a new thread when the site is ready. I'll use the same thread to post the finished kantei of pages. 

 

  • Like 1
Randy McCall Proficient

Randy McCall

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As promised, I've launched an  Online Kantei Site For Edo Period Oshigata Notebook, with details seen in a separate announcement thread I've just posted.

If you've asked to see the notebook, you should contact me to be registered for the site, where you will be able to participate and to observe the opinions of others.  To keep the users list to only NMB members, you will need to contact me in order to be registered on the site.  You'll need to supply a user name and an email address.  I'll enter those in the site database, then the site's automated system will send you a welcome message with details on how to change your temporary password. 

 

Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

  • Like 1
Randy McCall Proficient

Randy McCall

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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, 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.

 

Recount and re-pagination aside, approximately one half the notebook is now posted. 

md02geist Proficient

md02geist

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Rob, PM me a username and email address, and I'll get you registered on the Notebook Online Kantei site.  You'll also want to read the following note...

 

 

Done sir, thank you!

  • 5 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
Surfson Grand Master

Surfson

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I am new to this amazing thread as well and would like to receive a copy.  Randy, thanks for doing this!  Please let me know if you are going to do another distribution.  Cheers, Bob

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

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