Saigyō shiki monogatari 西行四季物語

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 16100.c.27
  • Dates of Creation
      1691
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      1 volume Condition: Fair. Some stained and soiled folios, and worm damage (repaired). Impression: Atozuri from moderately worn blocks. Illustrations: One double-page and 13 single-page sumizuri woodcuts illustrating events in the life of Saigyō Hōshi. Artist unknown. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Saigyō monogatari 西行物語. Variant title: Saigyō isshōgai sōshi 西行一生涯草紙 [西行一生涯草紙]. Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: Rakuyō [Kyōto] , Hattori Kyūbē, Genroku 4, 1691. Kanki on fol. 14b of last maki reads: 元禄四辛未年五月上旬 ／ 洛陽･･･ ／ 書林 服部九兵衛開板. Description: 4 kan, 1 satsu, in a chitsu case. Maki numbered according to the 4 seasons: (春) ff. 15; (夏) ff. 10; (秋) ff. 12; (冬) ff. 14. 20.9 x 15.9 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 17.5 x 14.2 cm. (average). Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed furigana and dakuten. 9 lines to page, 16 characters to line. Renewed mid-blue covers. Renewed title slip on left with manuscript gedai: 西行四季物語. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: Saigyō 西行 shun (etc.) 春 (等) + folio no. Edition: Third edition of this work, following blockprinted editions in Kan'ei 2 (1625) and Shōhō 3 (1646). Others followed in Genroku 5 (1692), Hōei 2 (1705), Hōei 5 (1708) and Kyōwa 3 (1803). Contents: Biography of Saigyō 西行, poet and priest, 1118-90, based on fact and legend, and including many of his poems. Accounts of Saigyō's life in emakimono form appeared from the Kamakura period onward, and later printed versions do not differ substantially from them in content.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Richard Lane, 5 Aug. 1958.

Other Finding Aids

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). C. Japanese works 和書 7. Literature - poetry 国文-詩歌 b. Waka 和歌

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 3, p. 12; Nihon bungaku shoshi 日本文学書誌, p. 688.