Antique Tatebanko including SAMURAI ARMOR

[John Wagenseil]

tatebanko | Tumblr


Follow links to image downloads.


More Prints and Tatebanko to explore here

http://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/chi05/

[John Wagenseil]

Sadly,some of the models posted here are not buildable because the complete sheet is not included on the download images.

[John Wagenseil]

The edges of the samurai armor tatebanko print were trimmed which removed some of the image where it approached the paper margins.
The prints are over 100 years, old the images were tightly packed and used every bit of the paper surface, and were not printed on inexpensive paper to begin with.
They were intended to be inexpensive items meant for immediate and transient use.
They were true ephemera.
I am sure the artists would have been surprised if they could have known that long after their death some of their lesser works meant for children to play with would be eagerly sought after by otaku gajin pepurakraftu.
I keep hoping to stumble across the Japanese equivalent of Patricia Eureka who collects and archives tatebanko and omachae , antique Japanese Paper Kraft, and a Col. Davenport equivalent who restores them to their old glory so that they can once again be built.
There are tatebanko posts but they are scattered all over the place, generally either by themselves or mixed in with an artist's other work. And either because of their age, which causes loss of their margin or loss of some of the pages that make up a complete set, or perhaps a Japanese convention not to reproduce the entire artwork so that modern copies cannot be passed off as an original, many of the tatebanko I have found posted on the Internet are frustratingly incomplete.
At the time they were produced ukiyo-e and omachai were considered disposable items, and were discovered in the West because discarded prints were used as packing material in crates of imported Japanese goods.
(Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan became open to imports from the West, including photography, which largely replaced ukiyo-e during the bunmei-kaika (文明開化, Japan's Westernization movement during the early Meiji period). Ukiyo-e fell so far out of fashion that the prints, now practically worthless, were used as packing material for trade goods. From Wikipedia )
For a time in Europe, in the late 19th c. this "packing material" or the wrappers around Japanese imports were considered more valuable and were more sought after than what they contained. I don't think anyone feels that way about Styrofoam peanuts, though a lot of us do find recreational uses for bubble wrap (it is fun to pop).

[John Wagenseil]

The Samurai Armor Tatebanko can be restored!

All of the missing parts near the edge of the page except for the tip of the sword hilt, have a mirror image of the missing bits somewhere else on the page.
I printed the model twice, once in its original form, and then as its mirror image, and can see that with some careful cut and past all the parts can be reproduced. Even the tip of the sword handle can be restored by borrowing a bit from the tsuba.
Someone with Photoshop skills could use the clone function to restore the missing bits rather than resorting to cut and paste.
The Sashimon (banner) is missing its lower quarter. It could be used as is,and still look OK, or the edge and the diagonal line could be extended until they meet and the missing blue colored part cloned with PhotoShop, Gimp or Paintnet.
Restoring the prints would be an interesting project for someone in the Vintage section. And Meiji era prints are not covered by copyright.

I've spend too much time on this, and it is time to open up a different set of files and get some real work done this morning. Bye for now.

[John Wagenseil]

This index contains links to architectural plans.
Index of /kosho/chi08
The first two books have plans that look like they might be able to assemble into a 3d plan of the building, like the pictures shown in the first link posting of this thread.
Does anyone see a 3d building plan there?

[Pat_craft]

Interresting stuff !!!

You're right John, some missing parts of the armor could be restored, but for some others, like the arm, it will be more difficult...
If I have some time...

[John Wagenseil]

Samurai Armor Paper Model from 1853:

I started building from the scan of a print published in 1853.
This may be the first time in over a hundred years that someone has tried to make this model. There are some inaccuracies, since this is a 19th c. artist's impression of an ancient armor.
The pieces adjacent to the print margins are damaged.
By printing out the original scan and its mirror image I was able restore damaged pieces by cutting and pasting intact parts of the print together to reproduce the original part.
All the "restoration" was done by old school cut out and fit and glue pieces together, rather than using any digital reconstruction.
Repairing the sleeves will be a bit trickier, but repaired part will be covered by the shoulder protectors (sode).
I have accounted for all of the parts except one, the piece next to the boots on the original scan. I suspect it is one of a pair (the missing piece having been lost when the print margins were trimmed) and may be part of a boot. It has the same texture as pieces representing scale or applique armor elsewhere on the model.

Attached is a scan of parts assembled so far. The helmet alone is worth making.

Also attached is a picture of a later style of armor, with labelled parts.

[Sakrison]

With Spring Break coming up, I don't have to teach next week. I'll see if I can Photoshop the images to restore the missing parts. The Samurai Armor is one I really want to build.
--David

[Vermin_King]

Pat, didn't you do the Hoko Float from there? I was thinking I saw a link to it on your blog. I keep trying to sort out the pieces in my head on it before I build it.

[Pat_craft]

Yes, I did it and, at least, it wasn't very easy...

It is here on my blog, and here on the forum.