[Kokon meikagami 古今銘鑑]

Variant title: Honchō kokon meizukushi 本朝古今銘盡 [本朝古今銘尽 ]. Variant title: Tōken meizukushi 刀劍銘盡 [刀剣銘尽]. Author/compiler: Unknown. Possibly the work of Matsuda Dōi (Hisamoto) 松田道以 (久元), like Kudensho 口傳書 (no. 634, q. v.). Imprint: N.p., n.d., [Keichō period, c. 1600-15] . Lacks colophon. Description: 1 kan, 1 satsu. ff. [21] , unnumbered, printed on both sides of leaf. 24.6 x 20.5 cm. Single leaves, thread-sewn. To all appearances a blockprint, but the possibility of movable type printing for notes in kanji cannot be ruled out. Printing frame 22.6-23.2 x 18.6-19 cm. Thick single borders framing each page. No printed hanshin. Kanji and katakana script identifying each sketch of a sword tang. Original covers, probably of same paper as text pages, have not survived. Endpapers, printed with a floral lozenge pattern in mica, have been pasted inside new front and back covers of rich brocade. Text paper: thick ganpi burnished smooth and sprinkled with mica dust. No title slip, gedai or naidai. Provisional title supplied by cataloguer. Edition: An otherwise unknown edition, totally different from Honchō kokon meizukushi 本朝古今銘盡, well known as a work printed from movable type. Judging by the hanshiki, paper, etc., this edition was probably printed in mid-Keichō period, like similar works illustrating sword inscriptions (e.g. Honchō kokon meizukushi). It clearly has a connection, though not acknowledged, with Hon'ami Kōetsu 本阿彌光悦 and the productions of the Saga Press. Contents: A collection of illustrations of inscribed sword tangs, five to a page, each identified by an inscription copied from the sword. Grouped by schools of swordsmiths, or by provinces, named on printed cartouches (white on black, inkoku 陰刻) at top of page. The work appears to be complete, despite the lack of any accompanying text. Folio [21] verso is blank and may have served as back cover.

Unrestricted

Acquired from Kōbunsō, 15 March 1974.

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). C. Japanese works 和書 19. Military arts 武術

Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 404-7, 849-50, pl. 874; Obama bunko kisho chinpon tenkan nyūsatsu mokuroku 小汀文庫稀書珍本展観入札目録, pp. 13, 66 (this copy); Zenpon eifu 善本影譜, series 3, vol. 1; Kōbunsō kohanpon mokuroku 弘文荘古版本目録, p. 214.