[ORANDA RYŪ HŌJUTSU DEN ZUMAKI] 和蘭流砲術傳図卷

[<i>Illustrated Scroll Transmitting the Artillery Art of the Dutch School</i>].

Finely painted handscroll on paper, with many brush & ink illus., many in vivid colors. Scroll (283 x 5510 mm.), wooden core roller. [Japan]: signed at end: “Gesshū shujin” 月洲主人, 1847 or later.

A richly illustrated handscroll depicting European infantry and artillery. We learn from the Afterword, signed by Gesshū shujin, that a Nagasaki translator — “Takashima” — wrote the text in order to present it to the lord of the Saga fiefdom. The illustrations were owned by Dr. Katsuragawa, a member of a famous Nagasaki family of physicians and scholars, who allowed Oka Kiyomichi to copy them. In September 1847, Morishima Hoetsu first assembled and copied the text and illustrations. Our scroll is a copy of Morishima’s scroll.

In the first half of the 19th century, knowledge of European artillery became a priority for the Japanese authorities. In the early decades of the century, several incidents occurred involving European ships that sought to force access to Japanese ports. Part of the response of the shogunal government was to construct coastal batteries to ward off future threats. Several European texts on artillery were translated into Japanese during these years. Since the Dutch were the only Europeans allowed to trade in Japan, and Japan already possessed a skilled corps of Dutch interpreters, the initial translation efforts focused on Dutch sources. Our scroll appears to have been part of these efforts at gaining a better understanding of the technology and use of European artillery.

The scroll shows, first, three European soldiers with rifles raised, one kneeling. Then it shows larger formations of infantry and artillery, with troops of 12 soldiers in line holding rifles with mounted bayonets. Groups of four artillerymen are manning two cannons placed between the infantry, with a commander in the middle holding a raised sword. The soldiers are wearing uniforms in different colors: red and green for the infantry, yellow for the artillery, and red for the commander.

The next illustration shows similarly outfitted troops standing two lines deep with the first line kneeling. The soldiers in one group have their rifles ready to fire. One of the two cannons has fired a shot, and smoke is billowing from the muzzle. The following illustration shows a mortar firing a cannonball in a steep trajectory, the train of the ball drawn strikingly in red. Dutch words are written in cursive next to the cannonball and the mortar. An explosion with smoke and fire follows this illustration. The remaining illustrations are finely drawn black-ink depictions of different kinds of guns and rifles.

Part of the text of the scroll consists of a Dutch-Japanese glossary.

Fine copy; some worming, partially mended.

Price: $4,500.00

Item ID: 10334