Can anyone decipher some unusual writing on an antique Japanese ceremonial kimono?fr

[Roger Yorke]

I have spent hours trying to identify the unusual writing on this antique ceremonial kimono, with no success. I submitted this writing to a specialized Reddit forum, also with no success. Lastly, I contacted Professor William Bodiford, who although unable to decipher the writing, kindly suggested that I submit my request to the PMJS forum.  An image of the writing in question is enclosed.

[Mark Schumacher]

Perhaps a stylized version of the Sanskrit seed syllable for Fudō Myō-ō?

rs trying to identify the unusual writing on this antique ceremonial kimono, with no success. I submitted this writing to a specialized Reddit forum, also with no success. Lastly, I contacted Professor William Bodiford, who although unable to decipher the writing, kindly suggested that I submit my request to the PMJS forum.  An image of the writing in question is enclose

--

MARK SCHUMACHER Tel/Fax: 0467-67-5005 (in Japan) and 81-467-67-5005 (outside Japan) https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml

[Christopher Hepburn]

It looks like it has ぎょうにんべん, so maybe 役 is close (or at least a starting point)? 

Best,

Christopher

--

Christopher Hepburn, PhD, FRSA

Postdoctoral Scholar and

Teaching Fellow of East Asian Studies and Music

Department of History

University of Southern California

East Asian Library, 109B

Edward L. Doheny Jr Memorial Library

3550 Trousdale Pkwy,

Los Angeles, CA 90089

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On Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 8:47 AM Roger Yorke <rogery...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have spent hours trying to identify the unusual writing on this antique ceremonial kimono, with no success. I submitted this writing to a specialized Reddit forum, also with no success. Lastly, I contacted Professor William Bodiford, who although unable to decipher the writing, kindly suggested that I submit my request to the PMJS forum.  An image of the writing in question is enclosed.

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[Cynthea Bogel]

Bingo,  Mark! The other motifs support it. 

Cynthea 

Cynthea J. Bogel

Composed using voice dictation software; apologies for any typos or infelicities.

On Oct 21, 2023, at 2:32 AM, Mark Schumacher <schumac...@gmail.com> wrote:



Perhaps a stylized version of the Sanskrit seed syllable for Fudō Myō-ō?

<kanman-fudo-sanskrit.jpg>

<7g0QnDEM0Ahrc6m4.png>

rs trying to identify the unusual writing on this antique ceremonial kimono, with no success. I submitted this writing to a specialized Reddit forum, also with no success. Lastly, I contacted Professor William Bodiford, who although unable to decipher the writing, kindly suggested that I submit my request to the PMJS forum.  An image of the writing in question is enclose

--

MARK SCHUMACHER Tel/Fax: 0467-67-5005 (in Japan) and 81-467-67-5005 (outside Japan) https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml

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[M P]

I believe it is a Sanskrit character (they are often written on kimono related to religious Buddhist ceremonies).

Dr. Petrucci MG.

---

From: "Roger Yorke" <rogery...@gmail.com>
To: "PMJS: Listserv" <pm...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2023 8:36:00 AM
Subject: [PMJS] Can anyone decipher some unusual writing on an antique Japanese ceremonial kimono?fr

I have spent hours trying to identify the unusual writing on this antique ceremonial kimono, with no success. I submitted this writing to a specialized Reddit forum, also with no success. Lastly, I contacted Professor William Bodiford, who although unable to decipher the writing, kindly suggested that I submit my request to the PMJS forum.  An image of the writing in question is enclosed.

--

PMJS is a forum dedicated to the study of premodern Japan.
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[Marianna Lázár]

Dear Mr. Yorke,

I agree with Mr. Schumacher. 

I'm very far from being a Kabuki expert, but from what I understand, this bonji was ocassionally depicted on the black mizu-goromo costume  (黒塩瀬梵字散らし水衣) of the character Benkei (弁慶) in the Edo period Kabuki play "Kanjinchō" (勧進帳). Kanjincho is one of the popular plays that is strongly associated with the Ichikawa Danjūrō line of actors.

Mr Yorke's picture also shows 輪宝 rinbō / rinpō patterns which also suggests a Buddhist ritual theme.

https://www.kabuki-bito.jp/special/costume/lixil-stage/post-stage-34/3/

https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/kabuki/en/play/play5.html

Best regards,

Marianna Lázár

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[Michael Pye]

Dear List,

And cf the stylized miei for Fudo at No. 36 of the Shikoku pilgrimage
route (e.g. on commemorative scrolls), a very distinctive item among
the 88.

Michael Pye

.................................................................................................................
Professor of the Study of Religions (em.), University of Marburg, Germany

[Michael Pye]

Dear all:
Mark has it. Google "Fudō Myō-ō siddham" and pursue from there...many
variations...
Michael Pye

> Perhaps a stylized version of the Sanskrit seed syllable for Fudō Myō-ō?
>>
>

>> rs trying to identify the unusual writing on this antique
>> ceremonial kimono, with no success. I submitted this writing to a
>> specialized Reddit forum, also with no success. Lastly, I contacted
>> Professor William Bodiford, who although unable to decipher the
>> writing, kindly suggested that I submit my request to the PMJS
>> forum.  An image of the writing in question is enclose
>
>

> *MARK SCHUMACHER*

> Tel/Fax: 0467-67-5005 (in Japan) and 81-467-67-5005 (outside Japan)
> https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml
>

> --
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[Roger Yorke]

Thank you.  You have pointed me in the right direction. The yuzen patternwork is extremely refined, and the kimono has the five family crests.  The mon/kamon is unusual: I could not locate it in John Dower's "The Elements of Japanese Design".  Does anyone recognize this crest?    

[A Schweizer]

Dear Roger (if I may),

that's a mitsu myouga mon 三つ茗荷, three spouts of the Japanese ginger (Zingiber mioga) in a circle. The sprouts are said to be life-prolonging and turn up often of martial objects. Many families used it.

The longevity symbolism may be connected to rough homophony with meika 冥加 (to be favored by the heavens/gods). 

Myouga also is an emblem of the deity Matara 摩多羅神 in Tendai buddhism.

Cheers,Anton 

***

Anton Schweizer, PhD

  Professor (Art History)

  Faculty of Humanities, Kyushu University

  Building East 1, room E-B-508

  Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken, 819-0395 Japan

  Phone: +81-(0)92-802-5044

  E-mail: schw...@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp

 

シュヴァイツァー・アントン　

  教授（美術史）　九州大学・人文科学研究院

  〒819-0395 福岡県福岡市西区元岡 744

　イースト1号館、E-B-508号室

  電話番号　092-802-5044

  Eメール　schw...@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp

 

https://www.imapkyudai.net

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https://imapsharedcoasts.com/

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[Roger Yorke]

Dear Anton,

Many thanks for solving that "mon" mystery. It's interesting that, as you say, "Myouga also is an emblem of the deity Matara 摩多羅神 in Tendai buddhism", as the kimono the 5 mon are on seems to be a ceremonial kimono for a Buddhist ritual.

Roger

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[Michael Pye]

Dear colleagues,
The Japanese ginger explanation is no doubt correct.
I'd just like to admit that I'm still hankering after a siddham connection.
Could it be that the evocative power of that mon owes something to its
broad stylistic similarity to those mysterious seed syllables?
And it could it be that whoever first designed it, if there is a
Tendai connection, would have been aware of them?
Just wondering really, Michael Pye

Zitat von Roger Yorke <rogery...@gmail.com>:

> Dear Anton,
>
> Many thanks for solving that "mon" mystery. It's interesting that, as you
> say, "Myouga also is an emblem of the deity Matara 摩多羅神 in Tendai
> buddhism", as the kimono the 5 mon are on seems to be a ceremonial kimono
> for a Buddhist ritual.
>
> Roger
>
> On Sat, Oct 21, 2023 at 9:23 AM A Schweizer <schw...@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp>
> wrote:
>
>> Dear Roger (if I may),
>>

>> that's a *mitsu myouga mon* 三つ茗荷, three spouts of the Japanese ginger

>> (Zingiber mioga) in a circle. The sprouts are said to be life-prolonging
>> and turn up often of martial objects. Many families used it.
>>

>> The longevity symbolism may be connected to rough homophony with *meika* 冥加

>> (to be favored by the heavens/gods).
>>
>> Myouga also is an emblem of the deity Matara 摩多羅神 in Tendai buddhism.
>>
>> Cheers,Anton
>>
>>
>>
>> ***
>>

>> *Anton Schweizer, PhD*

>>
>> Professor (Art History)
>>
>> Faculty of Humanities, Kyushu University
>>
>> Building East 1, room E-B-508
>>
>> Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken, 819-0395 Japan
>>
>> Phone: +81-(0)92-802-5044
>>
>> E-mail: schw...@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp

>> <https://hosting5.cc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=schweizer%40lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp>

>>
>>
>>
>> シュヴァイツァー・アントン
>>
>> 教授（美術史） 九州大学・人文科学研究院
>>
>> 〒819-0395 福岡県福岡市西区元岡 744
>>
>> イースト1号館、E-B-508号室
>>
>> 電話番号 092-802-5044
>>
>> Eメール schw...@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp

>> <https://hosting5.cc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=schweizer%40lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp>
>>
>>
>>
>> https://www.imapkyudai.net
>>
>>
>> http://www.reimer-mann-verlag.de/controller.php?cmd=detail&titelnummer=101541&verlag=4
>>
>> *https://imapsharedcoasts.com/ <https://imapsharedcoasts.com/>*

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>>> .

>>>
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