ABOUT THE MEANINGS OF “SHIRA-KEZURI”, “UWA-KEZURI”, AND “SHIRAKE” IN EDO PERIOD DOCUMENTS

  • NAKAYAMA Rie
    Dept. of Architecture and Design, Kyoto Institute of Technology

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Other Title
  • 近世文書にみる「白削」「上削」「しらけ」の意味について
  • キンセイ ブンショ ニ ミル 「 ハクサク 」 「 ジョウサク 」 「 シラケ 」 ノ イミ ニ ツイテ

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Abstract

<p> The purpose of this paper is to clarify the meanings behind the words “Shira-kezuri”, “Uwa-kezuri”, and “Shirake” recorded in Edo period documents that are related to repair works. Because of this, we have checked four documents recorded from the middle of the Edo period through the Meiji era that had used the four aforementioned words.</p><p> We have seen the words “Uwa-Sare kezuritori” and “Uwa-kezuri” used in the repair record “Hason-syufuku-issiki-ukekiri-siyou-nyusathu-necho (Construction Specifications for Damage Restoration Tender Contract)” regarding Horyu-ji Temple, created at the end of the 17th century. “Sare” means deformation and discoloration due to wind erosion. Because of this, “ Uwa-Sare kezuritori” has the meaning of scraping wooden surfaces that became uneven or discolored due to wind erosion. Moreover, it was also written similarly for “Uwa-kezuri” in the record to do “Uwa-kezuri (scrape the surface) ” on the “Sare” part, so, we know it was used for the meaning of scraping wooden surfaces.</p><p> The word “Shirage” was used for the construction permit request “Zosaku-no-koto-negai-tatemathuru (Solicitation of the Construction)” regarding Guzei-ji Temple, created in the middle of the 18th century. It is conceivable that the meaning of “Shirage” is “Shirage (smoothing)”, the applying of polish for the final finishing and tempering of the wood, or even improving and refining it. During the Edo period, there was a smoothing plane called “Shirage-kanna (smoothing plane)” used for the final finishing. Because of this, the word “Shirage” was used in the sentence “Mend the damaged parts and reuse wooden material that had its wooden surface refinished.” Moreover, in this document, the word “Shirake” was also used. "Shirake" is assumed to mean "Shirake (whiten)", and "Shirake" and "Shirage" were used in the same way in the document. For this reason, "shirake" can be also considered to mean that the surface of the wood is scraped in the same way as "shirage".</p><p> Similarly, the words “Uwa-kezuri” and “Shirake” could be seen in Ise-jingu Shrine’s official records “Jingu Hennen-ki”, created from the early through the middle of the 18th century. Summing up all the reconstruction and repairment of bridges, “Uwa-kezuri” was carried out on the torii gate at the pre-existing Uji-bashi Bridge in 1715, “Shirake” was carried out on the torii gate at the Kazano-miya Bridge in 1723, and “Uwa-kezuri” was carried out again on the torii gate at the Uji-bashi Bridge in 1746. Furthermore, all three of the aforementioned construction work on torii gates were expressed as “Shira-kezuri” in the published chronological table “Dai-jingu Koji-ruisan” compiled in Meiji 33 (1900) at Ise-jingu Shrine.</p><p> From the above, it is conceivable that all three words “Uwa-kezuri”, “Shirake”, and “Shira-kezuri” mean scraping of deteriorated wooden construction and the surface of old wooden material using cutting tools such as smoothing plane, etc.</p>

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