享保名物帳と刀剣鑑定の歴史
The Kyōhō Meibutsu-chō and the History of Sword Appraisal
Compiled in 1719 by Hon'ami Kōchū, the Kyōhō Meibutsu-chō remains to this day the supreme reference authority in Japanese sword appraisal. It established a ranking system for named masterpiece swords and became the normative document of blade valuation—this entry explores its significance and historical context.
Description
The Hon'ami Family and the Sword-Appraisal Profession
From the Muromachi through the Edo period, the Hon'ami family served as the shogunate's official authority for sword appraisal, polishing, and ritual cleansing (jōshoku). Beginning with the founder Hon'ami Myōhon, the lineage served successive supreme rulers—the Ashikaga shoguns, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu—holding a monopoly on issuing certificates of authenticity (origami) for famous blades. The culmination of this authority was the Kyōhō Meibutsu-chō, compiled by Hon'ami Kōchū in 1719.
Contents and Structure
The Kyōhō Meibutsu-chō records the inscription, provenance, form, and appraised gold-value of notable swords then identifiable, including the Five Great Swords of Japan (Dōjigiri Yasutsuna, Onimaru Kunitsuna, Mikazuki Munechika, Ōdenta Mitsuyo, Juzumaru Tsunetsugu) and about a hundred other named masterpieces. Each entry specifies province of origin, smith name, blade form, whether signed or unsigned, successive owners, and current whereabouts—making it one of the most important reference documents in modern sword appraisal.
The Origami System and Monetary Valuation
Origami issued by the Hon'ami family were official documents certifying authenticity and value—the source of the Japanese expression 'origami-tsuki' (certified, guaranteed). Registered meibutsu received monetary valuations, the highest exceeding one hundred gold coins. This monetary valuation system was a precursor of modern asset valuation for swords and is the prototype of today's sword-market pricing.