Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [Genna / Kan'ei period, c. 1615-40] . No colophon. Description: Each 1 kan, 1 satsu. ff. 21 (numbering on inner edge of each folio recto). ff. 1-4 contain text of Biwakō; ff. 5-21 text of Chōgonka; unnumbered folio, with woodcut on verso, between ff. 4 and 5. 26.8 x 18.5 cm. Fukurotoji. Movable type, with blockprintcd illustrations. Printing frame 22.6 x 15.8 cm. No borders. No printed hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text without furigana. 10 lines to page, 17-19 characters to line. Dark-brown covers, possibly original, with renewed endpapers. No title slip or gedai. Naidai: fol. 2a, Biwakō 琵琶行; fol. 5a, Chōgonka 長恨歌. In a modern brocade chitsu case. Cover title on case: Kara monogatari shō 唐物語抄. Edition: Apparently the only hiragana-majiri edition of these two works published in kana-zōshi form in the early 17th century. Preceded by a number of katakana-majiri movable type editions of Chōgonka alone, datable to Keichō, Genna and Kan'ei periods, but without illustrations. Followed by illustrated seihan editions in Enpō 5 (1677) and Genroku 2 (1689). The composition of the present edition, 10 lines to the page, suggests a date in Genna period (1615-24). Contents: Two stories on legendary Chinese themes, both derived from poems by Bai Juyi 白居易, published in Japanese translation as kana-zōshi.
Chōgonka 長恨歌
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- ReferenceGB 59 Or.64.b.31
- Dates of Creation[1615-1640]
- Language of MaterialJapanese
- Physical Description2 volumes Condition: Good, apart from minor worm damage. Impression: For the most part sharp and clear, with little sign of type wear. Illustrations: Two sumizuri woodcuts, each printed as a frontispiece to one story, on ff. 1b and 4 (bis) b. Seals of ownership: Two oblong red seals, Obama-shi zōsho 小汀氏藏書 and Obama bunko 小汀文庫 on ff. 1a and 2a respectively. Small oval red seal, Obama をばま on last page. (All seals of Obama Toshie.).
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Kōbunsō, 15 March 1974.
Other Finding Aids
Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). A. Chinese works 漢籍 7. Chinese literature 中国文学
Bibliography
Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 393, 692, 712-3, 936-7, pl. 1015; Ryūmon bunko zenpon shomoku 竜門文庫善本書目, p. 155, pl. 134; Chōgonka biwakō shō shohon no kokugogaku-teki kenkyū 長恨歌・琵琶行抄諸本の国語学的研究, pp. 1047-96 (facsimile reproduction of the present copy).