Nihonto Club

Japanese

Definition

Imperial property. An item is referred to as Gyobutsu if it belongs to the Imperial Collection of objects which are either of aesthetic or historic value to Japan or to the Imperial family (supervised by the Imperial Household Agency). The most famous collections are the Shōsōin Gyobutsu (正倉院御物) in Nara and Higashiyama Gobunko Gyobutsu (東山御文庫御物) in Kyoto.

Also, from the Muromachi period onwards, the shoguns followed a similar system. Objects from their collections were also called Gyobutsu (e.g. objects once in the collection of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1435-90) are called Higashiyama Gyobutsu (東山御物). The term Ryuuei Gyobutsu 抑営御物 refers to the collections of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

(Source: JAANUS)

This term is actively used in Kyōhō+Meibutsu+Chō to describe whereabouts of particular meitō.

Osaka Gyobutsu - collection of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (see NN-4-7-23)
Owari Gyobutsu - collection of Owari Tokugawa family
Gyobutsu - property of Tokugawa shogunate