The controversial koshi-ita

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I just found very good evidence the other day that koshi-ita are period. I know that Makiwara-dono had made mention of a painting (I believe it was the Maple Viewing scene?) before, but I had not been sure it actually showed koshi-ita (lower back board) on the hakama.

I was looking yesterday at a detail of 'Saru no Soshi' which is dated 'Muromachi Period, c. 1560-70?' and is currently at the British Museum in London. In at least one scene the koshi-ita are very clear. Also, it doesn't appear they are on all the hakama, and it looks as though it isn't in regards to rank, as some of the 'servants' have it or not and some of the bushi have it or not.

Still, it was an interesting find. I'd say that earlier we still don't have evidence of koshi-ita (say, Kamakura period), but I have to agree with Makiwara now that it does appear to be fairly firm in late period.

-Ii

[Please Delete]

Giving it some more thought before I head off to work: I wonder if this arose as a structural piece or as an artistic piece? It seems that the early ones I have seen all appear to have some kind of decoration. I've also noticed a tendancy for the back koshi-himo to get squashed in normal daily activity. Could this have been a reinforcement for the koshi-himo that just grew much larger?

Thoughts?

-Ii

[Kitadatedenka]

AN early plate in Japanese Costume And Textile Arts clearly shows the koshi-ita, though it's attributed to the early 1600's. The Maple Viewer's koshi-ita is something that may or may not be present. My viewing of the viewers is unclear on that point. The guy in the camo kamishimo, for example, might or might not have one.

[Saionji Shonagon]

The "Saru No Soshi!" I wish the freakin' BM had better magnification on their website because I certainly can't see anything well enough to determine whether they've got koshi-ita or dinnerplate cowboy belt buckles!

If memory serves, it was the "Maple Viewers" and we never did figure out if it was a koshi-ita or an obi, did we?

M.

[Kitadatedenka]

RE: Maple Viewers

Probably not an obi, in my opinion, because it was en suite with the rest of the kamishimo.

For everyone else who wants to find Saru no Soshi, go to the muesum site and search on Japanese Monkeys. Looking at part #18, it certainly appears as though a couple of the figures have koshi-ita. The color is that of the hakama, and looks to have the trapezoidal shape.

And yeah, the picture is kinda fuzzy.

[Takeda Sanjuichiro]

Which museum site?

[Saionji Shonagon]

takedasanjuichiro said:

Which museum site?

The Maple Viewers are in the Tokyo National Museum, Saru No Soshi are in the British Museum (Google British Museum Compass to get into their collection search engine).

And the reason the BM's site irks me so much is that the British Library has been digitizing medieval manuscripts! You can leaf through the Luttrell Psalter and other works and there's a terrific magnifying glass feature that provides the a really good look when you want to examine details. If they don't want people copying the images, they can set their system to block that - the BL and the UK's Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music both do it.

M.

[Takeda Sanjuichiro]

makiwara said:

...If they don't want people copying the images, they can set their system to block that...

Hmmm so you shouldn;t be able to do.... this?

[adarael]

The 'Print Screen' key: bane of all anti-image copying code.

[Saionji Shonagon]

I'm not sure the British Library one blocks, but the DIAMM does.....

M.

[AJBryant]

If they don't want people copying the images, they can set their system to block that - the BL and the UK's Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music both do it.

That's why I have a third-party screen-shot capturer on my computer. I can take a snapshot of anything showing on the monitor. ;D



Effingham

[Kitadatedenka]

Looking through one of my books for an ori-eboshi, I found an enlargement of the maple viewers. Our friend in the green camo definitely does not have a koshi-ita. The rest in that group are more or less face on to the viewer, so we can't see if they do or not.

[Saionji Shonagon]

I went back to another favorite, the Genre Scenes of the Twelve Months at the Tokyo National Museum. The one with the kids playing with paddles and balls. All those outstretched sleeves rendered in loving detail.

Center right of this detail, there's a boy in whitish hakama and a green and red kosode - THAT actually looks like the dreaded koshi-ita. The painting is dated Muromachi era (16th century).



tinyurl.com/aa7f6

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Agreed--it looks like a very small one, which might, again, give us some insight into how they began.

I wonder if there are journals from around the period that describe changes in fashion like that? The problem is, it seems like one of those things so common as to hardly be noticeable by most authors.

-Ii

[Saionji Shonagon]

I wonder if there are journals from around the period that describe changes in fashion like that? The problem is, it seems like one of those things so common as to hardly be noticeable by most authors.

Sigh. As if I'd be able to read them if they did. I recall some issues with an English translation of the Diary of Lady Murasaki where we were wrangling over whether something described by the translator as "embroidered" was, in fact embroidered!

It's enough to make you want to be 13th century English! No - wait. Er, never mind.

Wish me luck, guys, I'm off to look at a couple of apartments today!

M.