Jokyō hidensho 女鏡秘傳書 [女鏡秘伝書]

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 Or.75.g.22
  • Dates of Creation
      1659
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      1 volume Condition: Fair to good. Some folios rubbed and soiled. Fol. 1 of maki 下 missing. Book cropped at upper edges. Impression: For the most part sharp and clear, but with some evidence of block wear. Illustrations: A total of 10 single-page sumizuri woodcuts in the style of Moronobu, distributed as follows: (maki 上) 3; (maki 中) 3; (maki 下) 4. Crude hand-colouring and disfigurement on fol. 4a of maki 下. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Alternative reading of title: Onna kagami hidensho. Variant title: Onna kagami おんなかがみ. Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: [Edo] , Shōkai, Manji 2, 1659. Kanki on fol. 20a of maki 下 reads: 萬治己亥年孟冬仲旬吉日 松會 □□ [end damaged]. Description: 3 kan, 3 satsu, bound in 1 vol. western style. (Maki 上) ff. 21; (maki 中) ff. 18; (maki 下) ff. 2-20. 26.3 x 18.7 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 22.8 x 16.7 cm. (average). Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed dakuten, kutōten and a few furigana. 14 lines to page, 25-27 characters to line. Original black front cover of maki 上 only, with original title slip. Printed gedai: E-iri (tsunogaki) onna kagami 繪入 (角書) 女かゝみ. Title from naidai. Hashiragaki: Onna kagami 女鏡 上 (中, 下) + folio no. Edition: Third edition. The first was published in Keian 3 (1650) and the second in Keian 5 (1652). Contents: A practical manual for women, with hints on clothing, food, children, etc.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from William Anderson, 13 Feb. 1894.

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 13. Social life, including manuals of behaviour 社会

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 3, p. 405.