Meibutsuki” refers to an inventory of famous tea utensils in the collections of various families, including “Chayu-tsuki Meiyori” (Tea utensils Meiyori) with an inscription in the back (in Enshu Gozogensho) from 1577, “Senchashu” Karamono Bonnu no Shu from 1593, “Matsuya Meimono-shu” (A collection of tea utensils by Matsuya, probably compiled by Hisashige Matsuya), and “Shu-ke no Chawiki Meimono” (Tea utensils by various families) from the “Enshu Gozogensho”, The “Yamakami Souji-ki” is also partly a “Meibutsu-ki,” as it is written in the “Chakki Meibutsu-shu” (Collection of Tea Utensils and Meibutsu), which was also circulated. In the back of the “Sencha Shu,” there is an inscription that reads, “The treasures possessed by the nobles in Japan are described in detail in the “Meimono Ki.” The “Matsuya Meimono Shu” is a vast catalog of the owners, from Shukoh to Enshu, and includes a brief description of the origin, dimensions and contents of the utensils. In contrast to the “Meimonogi,” the inventory of tools owned by individuals is commonly referred to as a “kurachou” (storehouse book) or “tsukuchou” (tool book).
The book was compiled by Matsudaira Saikon Shogun Nariup. Known to the public as “Sanshobon,” it also includes one other volume, “Meibutsuki Appendix.
Norioppu was an old lieutenant of the shogunate for 22 years from 1723 to 1745. This book is a catalog of tea utensils, including 41 types of masterpieces from his own collection and 317 types from the estates of lords and princes. It lists tea utensils borrowed from lords and princes, and clearly describes the owner, date of borrowing, dimensions of the tea utensils, and accompanying articles. The period covers the Hoei, Shotoku, Kyoho, Genbun, and Kanpo periods (1704-44). This book is called “Meibutsu” by toolmakers today because it is the seed book of this book. However, although some of the items in this book are not classified as specialties, they have recently all become specialties of tool dealers. After a long period of being published in manuscript form, in 1934, Toyoen published the first edition of this book under the title “Sanzan Meimono Shu” (A Collection of Three Books of Meibutsu).
