Kentoshi-sen by Glen McGuire - 1/400 - Bottle

[Glen McGuire]

Time for a new SIB project.  And this one has a deadline.  But I’ve got plenty of time since I just have to finish it before July.  About a year and a half ago, I reconnected with an old college friend and roommate that I had not seen since the late 80s.  He found out about my SIB work and asked me if I would make one that he could give to his wife for her birthday in July (hence the deadline).  We got to talking about what the subject of the project should be and he asked if I could do one with a Japanese theme.  He and his family lived in Japan for several years and loved the artwork and culture.  So he thought his wife would like something reminding her of their time in Japan.

 

I began digging around for historical Japanese ships that looked interesting or had a compelling story.  Surprisingly, I didn’t find a whole lot to choose from.  I’m fond of warships, but I thought one of those might not be the best thing for his wife’s birthday present.  I finally came across a ship that caught my eye.  It did not have the most compelling story behind it, but it had some really cool features and was very representative of Japan’s non-military nautical history. 

 

 

The picture labeled the ship “Kentoshi-Sen”.  With further reading, I learned that Kentoshi is not the name of a particular ship.  It translates roughly to “ambassadors dispatched to Tang”.  So it’s actually the name of the nautical expeditions carried out by Japan in the 7th century and the picture is representative of the types of ships used in the expeditions.  The purpose of the expeditions was cultural exchange with neighboring China.  During the Japanese Nara period and the Chinese Tang Dynasty of the 7th century, Kentoshi-sen ships ferried Imperial Japanese Envoys to China.  The Japanese envoys included scholars, engineers, diplomats, monks, court officials and merchants.  They would return from China with new ideas surrounding engineering, architecture, and vocabulary which had a significant influence on Japanese culture.  They also brought back items such as glass, musical instruments, textiles, scroll writings, and many other exotic curiosities. 

 

The cross-cultural exchanges began with 5 missions between 600 and 614 followed by 18 or 19 missions from 630 to 894. The last mission was in 838, thus ending the period of active diplomatic relations between Japan and China until the 15th century.  Current pictures of Kentoshi-sen ships (as well as a full replica built in 2010) are based on drawings from the Toseiden emaki scrolls dating back to the 7th century. 

 

There’s also a Lego version of the Kentoshi-sen available, so the subject not as obscure as one might think!

 

 

My goal for the project is to make the subject, bottle, and presentation authentic Japanese.  So for the bottle, I wanted some type of Japanese adult beverage bottle.  I searched all the stores around Austin but could not find anything suitable in my price range.  The cheap stuff all had frosted or opaque glass and the clear bottles were way too expensive.  Then I had an epiphany – eBay!  I did a search for empty Japanese liquor bottles on eBay and found one I liked for $20.  It was an empty bottle of Kujira RyuKyu Whiskey, single grain aged 20 years.  Out of curiosity, I did a quick search to see what a new (full) bottle would cost.  An eye-popping $400 - $700 depending on the store!  So an empty bottle from eBay it is!!

 

I was telling my son about the bottle and I mentioned that it had a cool picture of a blue whale on the label as well as the box the bottle came in.  He said, “Duh Dad.  Kujira is the Japanese word for whale.”  Oh.

Edited 7 hours ago by Glen McGuire

[Glen McGuire]

I’m starting off with my preferred laminated hull.  The Kentoshi-sen has a prominent upsweep at the bow and stern.  To get the desired shape, I boiled the layers of the hull in water for 10 minutes, then put them in my high tech press.  Afterwards, I glued them together and clamp.

 

[gsdpic]

Looking forward to following what I am sure will be another enlightening journey.   Interesting bit of history behind the choice of ship.   Sorry, but I have to ask, is the blue whale going to somehow figure into the presentation?

[JacquesCousteau]

Looks like an interesting build!

[Thukydides]

I enjoy these SIB builds. It is a very striking subject.

[Knocklouder]

Good luck on your journey with this build  Glen. Following along.  

Knocklouder 

[Keith Black]

 All's right with the world, a new SIB journey! We get to go to Japan this time. 👍

Edited 3 hours ago by Keith Black