1994 Antique Japanese Mansucript on Samurai Armor by Ise Sadatake ca 1780

A complete manuscript on the subject of wearing Samurai Armor with 23 full page painted illustrations

Depicting the Samurai donning his layers of armour in readiness for battle. The artist has documented each stage of dressing up using 23 illustrations and text - beginning with the inner garments and ending with the quiver of arrows.

Superfine handmade Washi paper

Bound in the traditional Japanese fukurotoji (bound-pocket) style, with folded leaves stitched at the spine

Embossed cover

Title: Yoshiie Ason Yoroi Chakuyoushidai
Author: Ise Sadatake

Scribe: Chiba Hirosaka
Size(mm): 267 x 196
Pages: 29

Number of Illustrations:23

Script: Traditional Kanji / Kanbun
Age: Edo period, year 1780
Country of origin : Japan

Method: Appears to be hand drawn and hand painted.

The pages with the more structured handwriting at the end of the book appear to be annotations by another writer explaining the following:

The subject is "the order of dress of Hachiman Tarō Yoshiie.”

Context & Significance

Minamoto no Yoshiie (1039–1106), also called Hachiman Tarō, was a famous samurai general from the Heian period and revered as a model warrior. This document seems to record the order in which he donned his equipment and clothing, perhaps as a reference for later samurai to follow—suggesting ceremonial or idealized practices.

Authorship

The text states that the brushwork here was that of a scribe named 千葉裕盛 (Chiba Hirosaka) and the text was authored by Ise Sadatake. This handwriting is elegant, readable, and consistent—hallmarks of a professional scribe.

What Was Ise Sadatake's Role Then?

• He is referred to as 伊勢平蔵貞丈 (Ise Heizō Sadatake) — a formal name variant he used.

• This implies authorship or supervision, not handwriting.

• So this was likely a commissioned copy or an official transcription of Sadatake’s original work.

Other Examples

1. Bonhams An example from a Bonhams catalog shows a book by a copyist, with only 19 pages and 3 illustrations. In comparison, this manuscript has 23 illustrations in 29 pages.

2. Harvard Art Museum: A set of seven volumes on the same subject by Ise Sadatake can be seen on the website Link.  However that set of seven volumes is block-printed and painted while the single volume offered as asset 1994 appears to be hand drawn*. 

3. Smithsonian:On this link one can see an exampleof the same text authored by Ise Sadatake and brushed by another scribe in the same era.  Link  

Has worm holes, stains and some damage.

This is a beautiful manuscript to look at - the colors are amazing and the work is very beautifully done. The visual is a pleasure to behold and the fine quality of the paper gives it character. 

*This manuscript appears to be hand drawn (and not block printed) and this is also what I was given to understand by the reputed dealer who acquired this from an old collector. Please study the close-ups for your own satisfaction and draw conclusions. More photos available on request from jaina@wovensouls.com 

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This item has spent a lifetime being used for the purpose of its creation with the original artist/user. Signs of this life lived heartily may be present on the piece in the form of stains, thread loss, loose threads, holes, tears, color run and other imperfections. Therefore the condition must be assumed to be “not” perfect. More photos of such imperfections will be provided on request.

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