Basil William Robinson, the Japanese sword and the Victoria and Albert Museum 1912
By YAHYA ABDELSAMAD
INTRODUCTION
In the Meiji Period, foreigners with skills in engineering, medicine, education, and the military sciences were offered short-term government contracts on generous salaries to work in Japan. These specialists who were termed o-yatoi gaikokujin (literally 'honoured foreign employees', although the term had rather pejorative undertones) like Sir Francis T. Piggott, legal adviser, or Josiah Condor, architect, brought back to their home countries many art objects which were either given to them as departing presents or were items which they had bought while residing in Japan. Some of these objects, such as swords, woodblock prints, netsuke etc., were given or lent to museums. In Britain the Victoria & Albert and the British Museums were the main recipients. The majority of the objects were of medium quality, but a few high quality items were included.
Former samurai and many of the newly created nobility sold off their family heirlooms to keep up their status and lost interest in their ancient heritage, whilst trying hard to adopt a neo-Western lifestyle. Some of these objects were shown to the British public for the first time in exhibitions such as the Japan-British exhibition at Shepherd's Bush in London in 1910 and later at the Red Cross exhibition of 1912.These exhibitions contributed to the interest in Japanese art which had seen its peak in the late nineteenth century. Basil William Robinson, who became an expert in the Japanese sword, was one of those who as a result became fascinated by aspects of Japanese art and who helped to inspire interest in the Japanese sword and it's associated arts and craft. By his diligent scholarship, through his essays in sword journals such as the JSS/US (Japanese Sword Society of the United States), the Journal of the Token Society of Great Britain and Token Bijutsu of the NBTHK (Nippon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai - the Society For the Preservation of Japanese Swords) and his monumental book Arts of the Japanese Sword Robinson made a signal contribution to promoting knowledge of the art of Japanese sword making.
Before Robinson's Arts of the Japanese Sword appeared in 1961 there were really only two reliable books in English about Japanese swords and both had been published after the end of the Second World War. These were Nippon-to by the Japanese sword dealer and authority Inami Hakusai in 1947 and The Samurai Sword by the Japanese-American, John (Masayuki) Yumoto in 1958. They were the first books specifically about Japanese swords to have been written in the English language since Joly's Sword and Same had appeared at the turn of the 19th/20th century. These were basic books and only gave the briefest outline of the history of the craft. They were essentially reference books in the sense that they concentrated on giving a chronological view of the history of Japanese sword making. They did little to explain to the western student the complexities of the aesthetics of the Japanese sword, the relationships between various schools of sword making, or the influence of individual sword-makers.
Robinson in his preface to Arts of the Japanese Sword in discussing the situation in 1961 noted: 'It is not, perhaps, surprising that little or nothing original has been, or is likely to be, written on the Japanese sword by anyone who is not a Japanese. At best, a non-Japanese writer can only hope to serve up a cold collation of ingredients culled from Japanese authorities with an occasional seasoning from his own necessarily limited observation. European amateurs of the subject are thus through no fault of their own forced to spend the necessary years in patient study and comparison of the finest representative blades of all schools and periods, and so can never acquire that deep knowledge and wide experience that are the marks of the Japanese kanteisha [literally appraiser]. In writing the section on blades, therefore, I have leaned heavily on the Japanese authorities, especially Hon'ami Kosan, Fujishiro Yoshio and Honma Junji, and have followed to some extent the arrangement of my little handbook A Primer of Japanese Sword-blades (1955), now out of print, from which the illustrations of hamon (the sword's tempered edge) and the table of characters used in swordsmiths' names have been incorporated.'
Publication of Robinson's book inspired the next generation of sword collectors and scholars in the 1980s and 1990s to publish works on the subject. One such was Han Bing Siong in the Netherlands who is admired by many in the worldwide sword community as one of the pre-eminent non-Japanese sword scholars outside Japan. He publishes frequently in Japanese, English and Dutch and has always acknowledged Robinson's contribution to the study of the Japanese sword. Leon Kapp of San Francisco who published his landmark book The Craft of the Japanese Sword in 1987 on sword forging, also acknowledged his debt to Robinson. (The forging of swords had not previously been the subject of a study in a European language, as sword makers were most reluctant to explain their methods as they did not wish to reveal techniques.)
Rowland J. Gregory of Bedfordshire and his friend Richard Fuller of Bristol collaborated on a series of books on the Japanese military sword in the 1970's and 1980's, which won worldwide acclaim from collectors around the world. When they set about gathering materials for their first book they were much encouraged by Basil Robinson. Gregory met Robinson in 1946 when he used to deal in Japanese antiques in the Portobello Road and to buy Japanese swords from servicemen who had been in the Far East during the War.
The July/August 1974 issue of The Journal of the Token Society of Great Britain contained a transcript of a talk by Robinson about his early life and subsequent career with the Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A) under the title 'Reminiscence' Programme 81. In producing this essay I have drawn on this and on 'Japanese surrendered swords: A Reminiscence of 1945' from Programme 100 of the same society.
EARLY LIFE AT SCHOOL AND EARLY CAREER WITH THE V&A
Basil William Robinson was born in South Kensington, London on 20 June 1912 within 'five minutes' of his future place of employment. He recalled how his mother and aunts used to take him to the various museums in the area to keep him amused. He was immediately fascinated by the extinct animals at the Natural History Museum. The names of Triceratops and Megalosaurus 'used to trip off my tongue quite lightly'. As he walked further up the road he quickly graduated to the V&A where 'Oriental things seemed to click with me, why I don't know - there is no family reason. My poor parents were mystified by this curious line that I developed.' He recalled how in Crowborough in East Sussex he used to fence with his friends in mock combat with curved branches of pinewood resembling Japanese swords.
At the age of nine he was sent to preparatory school where he recalls that a friend was nearly caned for bringing to school 'Tales of Old Japan' by A.B. Mitford because it included tales of adultery. Robinson commented, 'I can still remember that dreadful picture of poor Chobei in the bath, being speared and all the blood coming out. Very soon the book was confiscated by the Headmaster as he thought it wasn't suitable for us to read.' However, he remained unrepentant 54 years later exhorting friends, colleagues and members of the sword society to read the book for it 'is one of the most marvellous books written on Japan ever written.'
Later he went to Winchester where, when he was given leave from school, he spent his time touring the antique shops. He bought his first Japanese sword for four shillings and six pence. It was in very bad condition and stuck in an Indian Tulwar scabbard, but he was very proud of his new acquisition. A little later in the same shop he bought some fine old Japanese pipes which led later to an important meeting with A.J. Koop, then assistant Keeper of the Metalwork Department of the Victoria & Albert Museum (Koop was Keeper from 1935-1937). He recounted how with his mother he knocked on the door of Mr Koop who generously gave him the information he wanted about his pipes. There was one pipe with a signature which Koop had not seen before. He duly recorded the signature which years later, when Basil Robinson assumed Koop's position as head of the Department, he discovered among the records kept by Koop.
After Robinson completed his studies at Corpus Christi College at Oxford he applied for a post with the V&A, but was turned down. On his second attempt the following year he made the shortlist but was not selected. Despondently, he resigned himself 'to head-mastering for the rest of my life' at Bognor Regis. Fortunately, however, he was asked as a matter of some urgency to take over a post at the V&A which had become vacant as the lady occupying it was getting married. (In those days when a woman married she had to resign her position.) Robinson who had been the runner up at the last selection board was appointed to the Museum on 2 January 1939 as Assistant Keeper.
He was appointed to the library where he said, 'So now I was in the library which is a very good thing, for the library is the heartbeat of the museum and if you can find your way about the library it's half the battle - you know where to find information and I was very glad for that.' Luckily for him there was shortly afterwards a vacancy in the Metalwork Department. He asked to be transferred to this post as he knew that the department had a large collection of both Japanese and Persian Art in which he was very interested. 'There I found that they had a splendid departmental library of Japanese books on swords…I buried myself in those and I think I improved my ability to get information from them.' No doubt this collection of books helped him later to write his celebrated articles and book.
Robinson was scandalised to find out that the year before he entered the department that the then head of the department had, for various reasons, disposed of a large number of swords bearing the signatures of (or were attributed to) famous masters. 'I found out that about a year before I entered the Department, there had been a disposals board on Japanese swords. The Keeper at the time was a retired military gentleman (Major Charles Bailey) and very good on European arms and armour, but had absolutely no feelings for the East. He had suffered under A.J. Koop, who was Keeper before him and who had rather hogged the whole field for Japanese stuff and I think he was trying to get his own back. Anyway he put a great number of swords on the disposals board and two other members of the board were the Keeper of the Textiles Department and a young gentleman who had recently entered the Department of Sculpture. They were hardly qualified I think, to pronounce on Japanese swords and we lost a great many Japanese swords, including examples by Senjuin, Sukehiro of Osaka, and Sa Yukihide which were written down as duplicates!! Well I had to swallow this as best as I could for the swords were already sold.'
ON ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE 1st BATTALION 2nd PUNJAB REGIMENT AT IMPHAL AND MALAYA
Robinson was called up in 1942 and sent to the Depot of the Royal Sussex Regiment with the rank of Corporal. He was then sent to the officer cadet training unit at Wrotham in Kent. Owing to an attack of mumps, he was not put on the original draft for the Italian campaign. Instead he went by troopship to Bangalore in India. There had been heavy casualties among officers during the retreat from Burma in 1942. He was commissioned in the 2nd Punjab Regiment after passing an examination in Urdu, the working language of the Indian Army. After repeated requests he was sent to the Intelligence school in Karachi. He wrote an essay attempting to describe the Japanese character entitled 'Sword and the Fan'. This got quite a good mark and he was soon promoted to the rank of Captain and was then posted as an Intelligence officer to Headquarters 14 Army. This was under the command of Lieutenant General Sir William Slim (later Field Marshal Viscount Slim KG GCB CGMG GCVO GBE DSO MC) who had led the remnants of the army in Burma back into India, and was later responsible for the defeats inflicted on the Japanese at the battles of Imphal and Kohima during their invasion of India in May 1944.
After the Japanese surrender Robinson was sent to Singapore where his knowledge of Japanese swords led to his being given the task of evaluating the quality of surrendered swords. He relates with typical humility: 'I was given the job of sorting out about 1800 Japanese surrendered swords in a large gymnasium in Singapore, deciding which should be given to Brigadiers, which should be given to Colonels, to Majors and so on. That was an instructive experience. I saw this mass of Japanese swords and I really knew very little then, much less than I know now. Conscious of my inadequacy for this task, I sent down to the Japanese Prisoner of War Camp at Rengam nearby to ask if there were any Japanese officer prisoners of war with a good knowledge of swords. In due course there arrived Colonel Yamada Sakae of the 3rd Air Force, who had been a member of the judging committee for the swords attached to the War Office. He was a quiet, cultured and polite man of middle age, and with the help of an excellent young interpreter, a certain Lieutenant Horiuchi, we embarked on a series of sessions. Horiuchi, I remember, was a Roman Catholic and I was able to obtain permission for him to leave the camp from time to time in order to attend Mass. The Colonel would examine the trophies briefly, blade by blade and his findings, faithfully communicated to me by Horiuchi, were duly noted down. This was my first experience of a kanteisha (appraisal session) in action, and I was astounded at the unhesitating confidence with which he assigned each blade to its correct period and school-often to the actual maker-before removing the hilt and looking at the signature.'
Robinson was deeply impressed by the effortless way Colonel Yamada went about his kantei and duly had Colonel Yamada write him a list of what he considered the best swords were. "I still have a rather tattered typed list of 60 Koto [old sword] (900-1596) and 80 Shinto [new sword] (1596-1750), Shinshinto [new-new sword] (1750-1868) and Gendaito [modern swords] (1868-present day) blades which he considered to be the best of the lot. Of these he starred 4 of the former and 16 of the latter as exceptionally fine and members may perhaps be interested to know what they were. The four Koto were Kanemitsu II of Bizen (mid 14th c.), Ichimonji of Bizen (early 14th c.), Naminohira of Satsuma (early 16c) and Sukesada of Bizen (early 3rd quarter of the 16c.). The later ones were Tadakuni of Hizen (3rd quarter of the 16c. 2 blades) Kunisuke of Osaka (mid 17th c.)……it is interesting to note that three Gendaito were also included among these top-class blades, by Yasukiyo, Yasutoshi, and Yasunori all of Tokyo. No doubt some of these fine blades are rusting on the walls country houses or suburban villas, but it seems likely that quite a few have by now found their way, via the sale rooms, into the hands of appreciative collectors.'
Robinson was allowed to keep two swords for himself. Both were 16th century wakizashi (short sword) in shirasaya (white scabbard) which nobody else wanted! These blades were by Tsunahiro of Sagami province and Uda Kunimune of Etchu province. Robinson still has them although as he admits, 'they did not earn one of Colonel Yamada's stars.' What he treasured above all was the pencil written introduction to the study of Japanese swords by the Colonel Yamada which had been translated by Lieutenant Horiuchi.
Robinson was not impressed with the quality of the victors' justice imposed on the vanquished in the war crimes trials in Singapore. He agreed that the death penalty was often deserved, although in a less emotionally charged atmosphere a punishment of imprisonment would have been considered sufficient. In the only trial he attended, his friend, as defending counsel did a splendid job in defending a Japanese officer, Colonel Mori Yoshitada who was responsible for keeping order in a large and unruly area during the occupation. Despite his friend's skill in presenting his case the officer was sentenced to death. The charge was apparently that Colonel Yoshitada had had an exceptionally troublesome prisoner in the compound who had escaped repeatedly and was recaptured twice. Yoshitada warned the prisoner that if he attempted to escape again, he would be shot. Unfortunately for the prisoner he was caught again and was henceforth shot. Yoshitada's conduct made an impression on Robinson who noted, 'His dignity and composure as he faced his judges was in sharp contrast to the sneering and gloating of the Malays and Chinamen who filled the court and hung over the galleries. He had been allowed to write a farewell letter to his wife in Japan, and a translation of it was printed in the Headquarters Intelligence Bulletin, a proceeding which struck me and several others as cruel, macabre, and in the worst of taste. War is indeed hell.'
Robinson finally managed to track down Colonel Yamada after the war. He was living in Tokyo, Koganei, running a radio shop with his sons. One day, Yamada's daughter visited London and called upon Robinson at the museum and gave him a pearl necklace for his wife. In return, Robinson gave Yamada's daughter, 'a strikingly beautiful woman' a sword to give to her father. It was a wakizashi (short sword) by the famous Osaka smith Sukehiro. Colonel Yamada died some time in mid 1960's.
BACK AT THE V&A, AUGUST 1946
Robinson returned to England and to the V&A in August 1946. It was at this time that he started to write about Japanese swords. He worked in close consultation with Dr. Honma Junji of the Japanese Ministry of Culture and with the noted Japanese sword expert Hon'ami Kosan. Robinson's first Japanese sword-related work appeared in 1955 entitled 'A Primer of Japanese Sword Blades.' His friend, Captain Craig an officer from the First World War and noted sword collector in the United Kingdom gave Robinson a book entitled Nihonto Jiten Koto-Hen/Shinto-Hen written by the Japanese authority Fujishiro Yoshio. In 1996 Fujishiro's younger brother was designated by the Japanese Government as an 'Important Intangible Cultural Asset' (also known as Ningen Kokuho or 'Living National Treasure') in the field of sword polishing. Fujishiro's book shows charts of Japanese sword hamon patterns peculiar to schools or regions of sword making in Japan. Robinson based his own 'Primer' closely on Fujishiro's and many collectors and enthusiasts bought copies of this accessible book and it quickly sold out. Following this success Faber & Faber, who were doing a series of books on Oriental Art, asked Robinson to enlarge on his earlier primer. This led to the publication in 1961 of his Arts of the Japanese Sword with a further edition in 1970.
Having been Deputy keeper since 1954, Basil William Robinson was officially appointed Keeper of Metalwork on 6th June 1966, succeeding Charles Oman. In 1972 he became Keeper Emeritus until his retirement in 1976. In this unique position he set up a new Far Eastern Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum. His lasting memorial would be the legacy he leaves us with.
Endnotes. I want to record my thanks to Mrs Alicia Cropley, daughter of B. W. Robinson, who has given me welcome advice particularly about her father's early life, Mr Gregory Irvine, Curator of the Far Eastern Department at the V&A, Mr Eric Alberts, lecturer at the Art Students League in New York City, sword collector and friend for some twenty years. Lastly but certainly not least I thank Mr Robinson for encouraging me some five years ago when I was at university to develop my interest in Japanese swords.
Apart from personal correspondence from Robinson and/or from Mrs A Cropley to myself I have used the following sources: 1. July/August 1974 Programme 81 'Reminiscence', Token Society of Great Britain. 2. July/August 1976 Programme 100 'Japanese surrendered swords: 'A Reminiscence of 1945', Token Society of Great Britain. 3. Basil William Robinson, Arts of the Japanese Sword, Faber, London 1961. 4. Basil William Robinson, A Primer of Japanese Sword Blades, Privately printed, London 1955. 5. Fujishiro, Yoshio, Nihon-to Jiten, 2 Vols. 2nd Ed. Tokyo 1963.
Reproduced from Sir Hugh Cortazzi's book Biographical Portraits, Britain and Japan Volume 5.