N. 54
EDITTO IN LACCA ED INCHIOSTRO SU TAVOLA, GIAPPONE 1682
RARO ED IMPORTANTE EDITTO IN LACCA ED INCHIOSTRO SU TAVOLA, GIAPPONE DATATO 1682
emanato dallo Shogun Tokugawa per indicare le ricompense promesse a chi individuasse i cristiani nascosti nel XVII secolo.
Misure cm. 46 x 70 x 3.
A LAQUER AND INK ON WOOD EDICT. EDO PERIOD (1603-1868). DATED 1682
46 x 70 x 3 cm.
NOTICE BOARD WITH ANTI-CHRISTIAN EDICT
高札（訴人褒賞令）
The system of reward for accusers was a strong way to persecute Christian Missionaries and believers.
Anti-Christian edicts started to be issued in 1587 under the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. For some years they were not rigorously enforced everywhere, but in 1614 the Tokugawa Shogunate started a general persecution of Christianity and decrees were regularly erected at bridge entrances or road intersections. To locate hidden Christians and Missionaries, the Shogunate established a system of reward for the accuser.
Starting from the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638), this method spread all over the country, increasing the amount of money offered as the persecution got tighter. It continued till the end of the Edo period, and even into the new Meiji Government, when international pressure from Western Nations establishing diplomatic relations with Japan resulted in the ban to be finally lifted with the permanent removal of all notice boards on February the 10th 1873.
This edict board was mounted on a post in 1682. Its specific importance, besides being amongst the very few early examples which survived until the present day, lies in the article about the accuser against the Tachikaeri Mono (Returners to the Christian faith) that seems to have been added from this edict on:
「立かへり者の訴人 同断」
'the same amount (300 silver coins) for the accuser against a Tachikaeri Mono (Returner)'.
In regard to the rewards, for a long time, one silver unit was the equivalent to 43 momme. In terms of rice price in those days, until 1674, one koku (150 kg or approximately five bushels) of rice was worth 60 momme.
So, if someone accused a Priest, he would be given a reward of 21,500 momme, about 358 koku (53,750 kg.). Even from a present-day perspective, we can see it was a very high amount of money for the accuser.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE EDICT
There are established by law.
The Christian faith has been prohibited for a long time. If you catch a suspicious person, you should send notice to the authorities.
As a reward, we offer 500 silver coins for the accuser against a Bateren (a corrupt word of Padre in Portuguese: Priest),
300 silver coins for the accuser against a Iruman (a corrupt word of Irmão in Portuguese: Religious Brother),
The same amount: 300 silver coins for the accuser against a Tachikaerimono (Returner),
100 silver coins for the accuser against a Dojuku (acolyte or catechist) or a Christian.
We issue orders as mentioned. Even if the accuser is a Dojuku or a Christian, he (or she) will receive the 500 silver coins according to the one accused.
If the fact that you had hidden a Bateren, Iruman, etc. is revealed, the Nanushi (village headman) of your village, the Goningumi (five-family groups for the purposes of mutual assistance and responsibility) and your relatives, indeed your whole clan will be punished.
The fifth lunar month of the second year of the Tenna Era (1682)
Please obey.
Chikara (signature of the official of the district.
Notice boards from such an early period are very scarce as they were constantly exposed to the elements.
Even though the ink has mostly disappeared, the layer of lacquer applied to the wood to outline the characters allows the text to be clearly read under raking light.
The only other three known examples dated 1682, the earliest date inscribed on any surviving board discovered so far, in similar or even worse conditions, are in the following collections:
The British Museum, London, UK (On display: G93/dc4/sA);
The Twenty Six Martyrs Museum - Treasure Collection, Nagasaki, Japan.
Sophia University - Treasure Collection, Tokyo, Japan.
JAPANESE ORIGINAL TEXT
定
切支丹宗門は累年御制禁たり自然不審成もの有之は申出へし御ほうび として
はてれんの訴人 銀五百枚
いるまんの訴人 銀三百枚
立かへり者の訴人 同断
同宿并宗門の訴人 銀百枚
右之通可被下之たとひ同宿并宗門之内たりといふとも訴人に出る品に より銀五百枚可被下之
隠置他所よりあらはるゝにおゐては其所之名主 并五人組迄一類ともに可被処厳科者也
天和二年五月日
右被仰出候通 急度 可相守者也
主税
emanato dallo Shogun Tokugawa per indicare le ricompense promesse a chi individuasse i cristiani nascosti nel XVII secolo.
Misure cm. 46 x 70 x 3.
A LAQUER AND INK ON WOOD EDICT. EDO PERIOD (1603-1868). DATED 1682
46 x 70 x 3 cm.
NOTICE BOARD WITH ANTI-CHRISTIAN EDICT
高札（訴人褒賞令）
The system of reward for accusers was a strong way to persecute Christian Missionaries and believers.
Anti-Christian edicts started to be issued in 1587 under the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. For some years they were not rigorously enforced everywhere, but in 1614 the Tokugawa Shogunate started a general persecution of Christianity and decrees were regularly erected at bridge entrances or road intersections. To locate hidden Christians and Missionaries, the Shogunate established a system of reward for the accuser.
Starting from the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638), this method spread all over the country, increasing the amount of money offered as the persecution got tighter. It continued till the end of the Edo period, and even into the new Meiji Government, when international pressure from Western Nations establishing diplomatic relations with Japan resulted in the ban to be finally lifted with the permanent removal of all notice boards on February the 10th 1873.
This edict board was mounted on a post in 1682. Its specific importance, besides being amongst the very few early examples which survived until the present day, lies in the article about the accuser against the Tachikaeri Mono (Returners to the Christian faith) that seems to have been added from this edict on:
「立かへり者の訴人 同断」
'the same amount (300 silver coins) for the accuser against a Tachikaeri Mono (Returner)'.
In regard to the rewards, for a long time, one silver unit was the equivalent to 43 momme. In terms of rice price in those days, until 1674, one koku (150 kg or approximately five bushels) of rice was worth 60 momme.
So, if someone accused a Priest, he would be given a reward of 21,500 momme, about 358 koku (53,750 kg.). Even from a present-day perspective, we can see it was a very high amount of money for the accuser.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE EDICT
There are established by law.
The Christian faith has been prohibited for a long time. If you catch a suspicious person, you should send notice to the authorities.
As a reward, we offer 500 silver coins for the accuser against a Bateren (a corrupt word of Padre in Portuguese: Priest),
300 silver coins for the accuser against a Iruman (a corrupt word of Irmão in Portuguese: Religious Brother),
The same amount: 300 silver coins for the accuser against a Tachikaerimono (Returner),
100 silver coins for the accuser against a Dojuku (acolyte or catechist) or a Christian.
We issue orders as mentioned. Even if the accuser is a Dojuku or a Christian, he (or she) will receive the 500 silver coins according to the one accused.
If the fact that you had hidden a Bateren, Iruman, etc. is revealed, the Nanushi (village headman) of your village, the Goningumi (five-family groups for the purposes of mutual assistance and responsibility) and your relatives, indeed your whole clan will be punished.
The fifth lunar month of the second year of the Tenna Era (1682)
Please obey.
Chikara (signature of the official of the district.
Notice boards from such an early period are very scarce as they were constantly exposed to the elements.
Even though the ink has mostly disappeared, the layer of lacquer applied to the wood to outline the characters allows the text to be clearly read under raking light.
The only other three known examples dated 1682, the earliest date inscribed on any surviving board discovered so far, in similar or even worse conditions, are in the following collections:
The British Museum, London, UK (On display: G93/dc4/sA);
The Twenty Six Martyrs Museum - Treasure Collection, Nagasaki, Japan.
Sophia University - Treasure Collection, Tokyo, Japan.
JAPANESE ORIGINAL TEXT
定
切支丹宗門は累年御制禁たり自然不審成もの有之は申出へし御ほうび として
はてれんの訴人 銀五百枚
いるまんの訴人 銀三百枚
立かへり者の訴人 同断
同宿并宗門の訴人 銀百枚
右之通可被下之たとひ同宿并宗門之内たりといふとも訴人に出る品に より銀五百枚可被下之
隠置他所よりあらはるゝにおゐては其所之名主 并五人組迄一類ともに可被処厳科者也
天和二年五月日
右被仰出候通 急度 可相守者也
主税
€ 5.000 / 7.000
Stima
€ 4.000
Base d'asta
