An hitai-ate from the Bakumatsu era.

[Gilles]

Dear all,

 

I recently acquired an hitai-ate from the Bakumatsu era. It was described by the seller  as : made by Yoshikatsu Kawamura, armor maker of the Sakai family of the Shonai domain, used by the Shinsengumi, Tsuruoka domain. It has three other engraved inscription which are : Hachiman Daibosatsu, Amaterasu Omikami Shrine, Kasuga Daimyojin Shrine.

It comes with eight different types of amulets and what I understand to be a certificate.

Can you help me on the certificate ? I will need a full translation to see if it is really linked to the hitai-ate. How old is it ?

Any helpful comments are welcome.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

[uwe]

I could have guessed that you would be interested in buying this, Gilles 🙂

The smith is not listed under this name….let me have a second look!

[Gilles]

Yes Uwe, you sure know me .

This type is not so common to find and it seems to be complete and original.

I can see the smith name on the certificate......

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes, the paperwork is correct. Nice.

 

Jan Pettersson has an almost identical one from Shōnai with those same inscriptions!

[Gilles]

Piers,

 

Can you tell me what is written on the paperwork ? Is it a certificate, ? I can't see a date....!

Anyway, I like the way the kanji(s) are drawn.

I remember the one belonging to Jan which is in better condition.

[uwe]

I also read “甲冑師明珍宗吉 招 “. Are there some relations to Myōchin Muneyoshi? He was a Shōnai craftsman!

[Gilles]

Does anyone has infos about the armor maker Yoshikatsu Kawamura,  who is said by the seller to be employed by the Sakai family of the Shonai domain ?

 

Any help on this certificate will be welcome.

[Bugyotsuji]

It seems to call the hitai-ate, 夏用 'iron armour for summer'. 

 

The 27th Lord of the Shonai domain, retainers to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sakai ... Tadatsugu Ko, called the armor maker Myochin Muneyoshi from Edo ...and had this made.(?)

The various invocations on the front are written and signed by Kawamura Yoshikatsu, plus Kao. These inscription readings are also noted on the pieces of paperwork, and the whole thing is rounded off with 南無阿弥陀仏 Namu Amida Butsu, 他二枚 'plus two other sheets'.

[uwe]

4 hours ago, Gilles said:

Does anyone has infos about the armor maker Yoshikatsu Kawamura,  who is said by the seller to be employed by the Sakai family of the Shonai domain ?

 

Any help on this certificate will be welcome.

As said above, Gilles. This smith (川村吉勝) is not listet in the Meikan! The only clue we have is this certain Muneyoshi, but even for him there is little info, except that he was working around late Edo/Meiji for the Shōnai fief….

[Tohagi]

Fantastic piece of history !

 

Sakaï family is even refered in  "Ghost of Tsushima" 😀.

 

Best regards, 

 

Éric VD 

[Gilles]

Thank you for your help gentlemen. I guess we won't go further on this one.

[Bugyotsuji]

Note that the armourer is Myochin Muneyoshi, but the designs and writings (inscriptions) are by Kawamura Yoshikatsu.

[uwe]

That might be the reason Yoshikatsu isn’t listed. 
I wasn’t sure in which context Muneyoshi was mentioned, but “招“ gave a hint…

[Bugyotsuji]

Re 招く maneku 
When I said ‘called’ above, I meant ‘invited’.

[Gilles]

Thank you Piers, it explain why those two names are quoted and their attributions.

 

Can we date this hitai-ate between 1864 ans 1868 ???? I can't see a date on the certificate.

[Bugyotsuji]

https://en.tabi-samu...com/story/event/539/

 

See under Shōnai, Tokugawa supporters.

Made for protection in the Boshin War?

[Gilles]

Got it Piers, could be contemporary to the Boshin war period.

 

Thank you very much to both of you, Piers and Uwe.  Your help was decisive and help me a lot to understand and appreciate that new acquisition.

[Nobody]

On 7/24/2024 at 12:56 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

It seems to call the hitai-ate, 夏用 'iron armour for summer'. 

 

The 27th Lord of the Shonai domain, retainers to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sakai ... Tadatsugu Ko, called the armor maker Myochin Muneyoshi from Edo ...and had this made.(?)

The various invocations on the front are written and signed by Kawamura Yoshikatsu, plus Kao. These inscription readings are also noted on the pieces of paperwork, and the whole thing is rounded off with 南無阿弥陀仏 Namu Amida Butsu, 他二枚 'plus two other sheets'.

 

I know I am late, but I still do not understand the paper. The paper looks an incorrect explanatory note rather than a certificate.

 

There are several points I cannot understand.

The paper says that the armor maker Myochin Muneyoshi (明珍宗吉) was invited to Shonai by Sakai Saemon no jo Tadatsugu (酒井左衛門丞忠次), and Tadatsugu was the 27^th Lord of the Shonai domain.

 

However;

1. Sakai Tadatsugu (酒井忠次) died in 1596 before the Shonai domein was established.

Ref. Sakai Tadatsugu - Wikipedia

2. The first Lord of the Shonai domain is Sakai Tadakatsu (酒井忠勝), who is the grandchild of Tadatsugu.

3. The last Lord of the Shonai domain is Sakai Tadamichi (酒井忠宝) and he is 12^th load. So, there is no 27^th Load of the Shonai domain.

4. If Myochin Muneyoshi made the armor in late Edo period, what about the first part of the paper?

[Bugyotsuji]

Excellent detective work, Moriyama San! It’s best to double-check everything.
But, as Gilles says above, the writing is beautifully done, like an ancient wizard’s manuscript!

[uwe]

Thanks for the input Moriyama San!

Haven’t checked the pedigree of the Sakai family, so I didn’t notice that fact…strange thing 

[Gilles]

Thank you very much Moriyama San. It seems to be a real conundrum.

 

Do you think that it is a counterfeit document (even if it is an old one) which was made to enhance the value of the hitai-ate or to give a special importance ? 

[Nobody]

1 hour ago, Gilles said:

Thank you very much Moriyama San. It seems to be a real conundrum.

 

Do you think that it is a counterfeit document (even if it is an old one) which was made to enhance the value of the hitai-ate or to give a special importance ? 

 

i suspect that it may be such a document and was written after Meiji era.

[Bugyotsuji]

Regardless of the paperwork, it’s a great object to have, especially with the inscriptions, and the historical background is probably right.

[Gilles]

Thank you again Moriyama San for your help.

I agree with you Piers, I consider that it is an historic object and a witness of a troubled era were the sword was the main weapon.

[Bugyotsuji]

Sadly though, although most combatants still carried swords in the Bakumatsu, battles were decided by succeeding evolutions of the gun, which was by then the principal weapon.

[Tohagi]

Musqueter's speaking, judging from a recent picture with your daughter  

 

Best regards, 

 

Éric VD