Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T19:43:30.576Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Radiocarbon Dating of Kohitsugire Calligraphies Attributed to Asukai Masatsune and the Periods of Origin of Genji Monogatari Emaki and Ban-Dainagon Ekotoba

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Hirotaka Oda*
Affiliation:
Center for Chronological Research, Nagoya University. Nagoya Aichi 464-8602, Japan
Kazuomi Ikeda
Affiliation:
Faculty of Letters, Chuo University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0393, Japan
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Genji monogatari emaki and Ban-dainagon ekotoba are Japanese national treasures. Although the periods in which they were painted have not been accurately determined, radiocarbon dating cannot be applied to these priceless artifacts because of the destructive nature of 14C dating. In this study, the periods of their origin were determined by 14C dating the kohitsugire calligraphy. Kohitsugire are ancient paper sheets containing graceful calligraphy. They originally were part of ancient manuscripts. Two kohitsugire named Imaki-gire and Kingin-kirihaku-wakanroeishu-gire are written in the same style as Genji monogatari emaki and Ban-dainagon ekotoba. Although Imaki-gire and Kingin-kirihaku-wakanroeishu-gire had been attributed to Asukai Masatsune (AD 1170–1221) on the basis of the kiwamefuda certificates, recent calligraphical and paleographical studies suggest that they are genuine handwritings of Fujiwara no Norinaga (AD 1109–1180?). We applied 14C dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to Imaki-gire and Kingin-kirihaku-wakanroeishu-gire. The calibrated 14C ages of both the kohitsugire indicated timing close to the peak of Fujiwara no Norinaga's career as a calligraphist. Based on the associations between the dated texts and the 14C results, it is concluded that the Genji monogatari emaki and Ban-dainagon ekotoba paintings could have been created in the middle of 12th century.

Type
Archaeology
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

Itoh, J. 1939. Fujiwara no Norinaga no hisseki ni tsuite. Gasetsu 32:679700. In Japanese.Google Scholar
Komatsu, S. 1961. Futaarayamajinjahouzouhon Gosenwakasu hissha no suitei to sono hoho. Gosenwakashu: Kohon to Kenkyu, Kenkyu part, Seishin shobo, 168. In Japanese.Google Scholar
Oda, H, Yoshizawa, Y, Nakamura, T, Fujita, K. 2000. AMS radiocarbon dating of ancient Japanese sutras. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 172(1–4):736–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oda, H, Masuda, T, Niu, E, Nakamura, T. 2003. AMS radiocarbon dating of ancient Japanese documents of known age. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 255(2):375–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oda, H, Ikeda, K, Nakamura, T. 2007. Radiocarbon age of the kohitsugire calligraphy and the kiwamefuda certificate. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 259(1):374–7.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Baillie, MGL, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Bertrand, CJH, Blackwell, PG, Buck, CE, Burr, GS, Cutler, KB, Damon, PE, Edwards, RL, Fairbanks, RG, Friedrich, M, Guilderson, TP, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kromer, B, McCormac, G, Manning, S, Bronk Ramsey, C, Reimer, RW, Remmele, S, Southon, JR, Stuiver, M, Talamo, S, Taylor, FW, van der Plicht, J, Weyhenmeyer, CE. 2004. IntCal04 terrestrial radiocarbon age calibration, 0–26 cal kyr BP. Radiocarbon 46(3):1029–58.Google Scholar
Yotsutsuji, H. 2004. Genji monogatari emaki. Nippon meihitsusen 46 Genji monogatari emaki: Den Fujiwara no Korefusa hitsu, Den Jakuren hitsu, Den Asukai Masatsune hitsu: Nigensha. p 182–3. In Japanese.Google Scholar