Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room T1
October 3, 2006 (Tue) - November 5, 2006 (Sun)
These documents were mostly related to land ownership or various rights that were ensured by the rulers or governments. Therefore, they were supposed to be preserved by the recipients for later generations. Many of the surviving examples have been preserved at major temples and shrines, or owned by families of feudal lords. The origin of these legal papers lies in the kushikiryo, part of ancient Ritsuryo codes. Over time the format changed from complicated sentences that followed difficult rules to a simpler form with fewer words in order to be more realistic and practical.
The relationship (ranks, status, etc.) between the issuer and recipient was reflected in the size and thickness of the paper, the position of the signature and seal, the size of the characters, as well as the expressions used in the writing. These documents were important papers to the recipient to prove their rights and privileges at later times. Today, they provide valuable clues to know the incidents related to these papers; they are materials that tell history.
This display features ancient documents from the museum's collection related to famous historical incidents.
Major works in this exhibition
