Title: Hachi-jō-Ryū Bajutsu Makimono (Hachijo School Horsemanship Scroll), 1663. A Beautiful Scroll with Nine Large Paintings Depicting Various Riders and their Horse Steeds
Author: Moriyoshi Nagaaki
Condition: Very Good
An Early Edo Period, 17th century emakimono handscroll depicting the skilled horsemanship skills of the Hachijo School, produced by one Moriyoshi Nagaaki during the Kanbun Era.
Each painting is brightly and rather vividly colored, with each rider rather stoic and emotionless, whilst their steeds seem to display most of the emotions of the pair, each one progressively getting faster until the ninth horse is quite literally straightened out from the speed of which it is galloping. Considerable detail is shown to each of the rider’s garments and vestments, and each horse is of a distinct and different breed.
Hachijo was one of the early Koryu schools of horsemanship, and considered one of the four primary Koryu schools, along with the Otsubo, Ogasawara, and Naito schools. Its founder was Hachijo Omi no Kami Fusashige, who was active from the Taiei to Tenbun eras (1521-1555). Fusashige is said to have been from Hachijo Domain, Musashi Province, which was the territory of the Uesugi clan. He first learned horsemanship from Ogasawara Uemori, the Shoyu of Tamibu, in the tradition of the Kai-Genji clan. He then added his own originality and ingenuity to create his own style and was said to be one of the greatest masters of horsemanship since the revival of the sport. Moving on to the early modern period, during the Genna and Kan'ei eras (1615-1644), Arakawa Chobei Shigeyo, who succeeded him in the direct line, was praised for his virtuosity and raised the school's reputation.
The paintings have been laid down and bound in a scroll for preservation, with a beautiful brocade decorated cover, and there are jikusaki (knobs) made of wood. There is a wooden box to accompany it, preserving the scroll.
One emakimono (picture scroll) on fine paper, roughly 29 x 431 cm. The knobs are not included as part of the measurement.
This handscroll is in very good shape, with some rubbing, wear, and loss to the scroll cover and initial blank section. There are a few small worm tracks throughout and some small creases, and a bit of fraying at the end.