{"product_id":"ako-gishi-shokan-oishi-chakara-gai-tanaka-letters-from-the-ako-gishi-including-oishi-chikara-and-others-circa-1670-1703-an-extraordinary-collection-of-twenty-one-letters-written-by-members-of-the-47-ronin-with-several-kao","title":"Ako Gishi Shokan Oishi Chakara-Gai Tanaka (Letters from the Ako Gishi including Oishi Chikara and Others), Circa 1670-1703. An Extraordinary Collection of Twenty-One Letters Written by Members of the 47 Ronin, with Several Kao","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eTitle: Ako Gishi Shokan Oishi Chakara-Gai Tanaka (Letters from the Ako Gishi including Oishi Chikara and Others), Circa 1670-1703. An Extraordinary Collection of Twenty-One Letters Written by Members of the 47 Ronin, with Several Kao\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Attributed to Ōishi Chikara Yoshikane; Kaiga Yazaemon Tomonobu; Akabane Genzō Shigekata; Okuda Sadaemon Yukitaka; Other Members of the Ronin\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Very Good\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAn extraordinary, Early Edo Period, 17th to very early 18th century collection of manuscripts in handscroll format, entitled Ako Gishi Shokan Oishi Chakara-Gai Tanaka, or Letters from the Ako Gishi including \u003cb\u003eOishi Chikara\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eOthers\u003c\/b\u003e. As the title would entail, the manuscripts are a collection of twenty-one different letters written by members of the Ako Roshi, or the 47 Ronin, with several bearing the Kao, or signatures of those respective members, comparing favorably to other digitized and sold examples.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eWhile attempting to kill Kira Yoshinaka, Lord Asano Naganori failed in his attempts, and for this, the clan was brought to ruin and Naganori was made to comitt seppuku as punishment for his failed attempt.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAs a result, \u003cb\u003eOishi Yoshio (1659-1703)\u003c\/b\u003e, Chamberlain of the Ako Clan Harima, led the charge with 46 other Ako ronin, and raided the Kira residence in Edo in January 1703, taking the head of Yoshinaka, avenging his lord. He was placed in the custody of the Hosokawa family by order of the shogunate, and the following year, he was ordered to commit seppuku alongside his fellow ronin.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eEach letter is attributed to the following figure, in order:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eHoribe Yahei Kanamaru\/Akizane\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003e (1627-1703), \u003cb\u003eYakokawa Kanbei Munetoshi\u003c\/b\u003e (1667-1703), \u003cb\u003eYoshida Chūzaemon Kanesuke\u003c\/b\u003e (1640-1703), \u003cb\u003eŌishi Chikara Yoshikane\u003c\/b\u003e (1688-1703), \u003cb\u003eHazama Kihei Mitsunobu\u003c\/b\u003e (1635-1703), \u003cb\u003eHazama Jūjirō Mitsuoki\u003c\/b\u003e (1678-1703), \u003cb\u003eOkano Kin'emon Kanehide\u003c\/b\u003e (1680-1703), \u003cb\u003eMuramatsu Sandayū Takanao\u003c\/b\u003e (1677-1703), \u003cb\u003eKaiga Yazaemon Tomonobu\u003c\/b\u003e (1650-1703), \u003cb\u003eNakamura Kansuke Masatoki\u003c\/b\u003e (1659-1703), \u003cb\u003eHayami Tōzaemon Mitsutaka\u003c\/b\u003e (1664-1703), \u003cb\u003eKatsuta Shinzaemon Taketaka\u003c\/b\u003e (1680-1703), \u003cb\u003eSugaya Hannojō Masatoshi\u003c\/b\u003e (1660-1703), \u003cb\u003eHoribe Yasubei Taketsune\u003c\/b\u003e (1670-1703), \u003cb\u003eYatō Emoshichi Norikane\u003c\/b\u003e (1686-1703), \u003cb\u003eAkabane Genzō Shigekata\u003c\/b\u003e (1669-1703), \u003cb\u003eUshioda Matanojō Takanori\u003c\/b\u003e (1669-1703), \u003cb\u003eKimura Okaemon Sadayuki\u003c\/b\u003e (1658-1703), \u003cb\u003eŌtaka Gengo Tadao\/Tadatake\u003c\/b\u003e (1672 -1703), \u003cb\u003eOkuda Sadaemon Yukitaka\u003c\/b\u003e (1678-1703), and \u003cb\u003eTominomori Sukeemon Masayori\u003c\/b\u003e (1670-1703).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eOf note is a letter by a young \u003cb\u003eŌishi Chikara Yoshikane (1688-1703)\u003c\/b\u003e, a samurai from the early Edo period. Born in the first year of Genroku, he was the eldest son of Oishi Yoshio, leader and member of the 47 Ronin of Ako in Harima.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eDuring the raid on Kira Yoshinaka’s residence, Chikara led the attack on the back gate. After the incident, he was entrusted to the Matsudaira family of the Iyo Matsuyama domain and committed seppuku on February 4, 1703. He was 16 years old.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAlthough I have seen individual letters attributed to members of the Ako Roshi, as well as small selections sold in the past, this is the first time I have ever seen such a scroll, with so many Ronin letters collected.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe last notable ownership of this scroll of letters was \u003cb\u003eTanaka Torasaburo \u003c\/b\u003e(1867-1935), a businessman who was distantly related to the Japanese entrepreneur Ichimura Kiyoshi, with his name labelled to the front of the scroll. It seems rather likely that he may have been the individual to put down identifying labels for each letter, or the individual he acquired it from.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAll the letters have been laid down and bound in handscroll format, with a brocade decorated cover of blue and white flowering designs. There is a rather battered and damaged wooden box to accompany the box, although the lid is falling apart.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eOne collection of 21 calligraphic letters bound into handscroll format, 28.4 x 730 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThese letters are in very good shape, with minor rubbing and wear to the brocade cover. There is some wear and creasing to the scroll backing paper throughout, and some general wear and minor margin loss to some of the letters. Two of the letters have some damage, with text loss. There is some scattered staining to some of the letters.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"That Guy With The Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51623315603767,"sku":null,"price":22000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0281\/1589\/4371\/files\/20260115_121513.jpg?v=1769975515","url":"https:\/\/thatguywiththebooks.com\/products\/ako-gishi-shokan-oishi-chakara-gai-tanaka-letters-from-the-ako-gishi-including-oishi-chikara-and-others-circa-1670-1703-an-extraordinary-collection-of-twenty-one-letters-written-by-members-of-the-47-ronin-with-several-kao","provider":"That Guy With The Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}