Shinto Bengi?

[Peter Bleed]

A long time ago Willis Hawley presented a volume of Edo-era "oshigata" called SHINTO BENGI. I had a copy but got separated from it a long time ago. My recollection is that it was like a lots of the illustrated Edo era references, i.e. not detailed or specific enough to be of modern use. Was there  text that went along with the illustrations. And if there was, was that translated?

Peter

[geekman]

Hi Peter,

 

        There were no text .  Just copies of the nakago with reference numbers at the to the swordsmiths in Hawley's  Japanese Swordsmiths Book.

 

         Hope this helps.

 

Brian Murashige

[seattle1]

Hi Peter:

 Brian is correct, no test, and the images are not oshigata as such but reproduced pen drawings that are more or less accurate. The nice thing about it is the showing of yasurime, such an easily over looked study element, which in that publication I have found quite reliable. If you are looking for one in particular PM me.

 Arnold F.

[Stephen]

Ive been after one as well if anybody else has one

[Grey Doffin]

I have 2 hardbound and 1 softbound copies on my site.

Grey

[Stephen]

http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b719-shinto-bengi-oshigata-hawley

 

Ill take one if it's in the ol blue

[Grey Doffin]

PM sent

Grey

[Baka Gaijin]

Here from the Smithsonian Libraries are the 9 volumes of Keichō Irai Shintō Bengi published in An'ei 8(1779).

 

I believe this is also known as Shinto Bengi Oshigata.

 

The format is Fukuro Toji (Doubled sheet spine stitched)

 

Volumes 1 - 3 are text, volume 4 onwards are the oshigata.

 

https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/keicho-irai-shinto-bengi

[Peter Bleed]

Malcolm,

You have hit the nail on the head. Now if only I could read it!

Thanks

peter

[Peter Bleed]

Thank you all for responding to my inquiry about Shinto Bengi. I made the inquiry because of a comment Tanobe-sensai made in 1984 in an English language section of Token Bijustsu. He said that the author of Shinto Bengi claimed that some Yamato swordsmiths went to northern Japan in Oei times. Kunikane claimed to have roots in the Hosho tradition – and he sure demonstrated that style – but I am totally unaware of any koto era swords from the immediate Sendai area. Yes yes, there were the Gassan guys over the mountains in Yamagata. And swords were made up at Hiraizumi (how wonderful that was was). Do we really think that Hosho excellence could be preserved for a couple hundred years by nameless country smiths?

Peter

[Stephen]

Got my copy from Gray, as always a pleasure to deal with fast shipping item better than thought.

Now the head scratcher way back when i had a Oshigata book that showed a Kanetsune with looong vertical downstroke on tsune and it was talked about, SB only shows one Kanetsune...not mine..my memory cost me again, lol no worries great book esp if you have shinto swords.

Can you imagine the pressure the calligrapher had in making each stroke true to sword? get it right or lose a hand?

[Blazeaglory]

Malcolm,

You have hit the nail on the head. Now if only I could read it!

Thanks

peter

If you click on the pics it opens the volume for reading

 

EDIT: I get what you mean now lol it's in Japanese haha