Osana Genji おさな源氏

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 16107.g.31
  • Dates of Creation
      [1670-1681]
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      10 volumes Condition: Good, apart from soiled corners and a few stained folios. Impression: A clear impression from little-worn blocks, surprisingly sharp for a reprinted edition. Illustrations: A total of 64 single-page sumizuri woodcuts, unsigned but possibly the work of the author Ryūho himself, distributed as follows: (maki 1) 6; (2) 6; (3) 5; (4) 7; (5) 6; (6) 7; (7) 6; (8) 6; (9) 7; (10) 8. Seals of ownership: Oblong red seal, Kanga bunko 閑雅文庫 (seal of Satake Yoshimichi 佐竹義路), on first page of each maki.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Nonoguchi Ryūho 野 口立圃, also known as Hinaya Ryūho 雛屋立圃, haikai poet, artist, calligrapher and man of letters, 1595-1669. Imprint: [Edo] , Shōkai (also read Matsue), n.d. [Kanbun 10 (1670) or Enpō 9 (1681) ] . See under Edition below. Kanki at end of maki 10 reads: 松會開板. Description: 10 kan, 10 satsu, in a box. (Maki 1) ff. 16; (2) ff. 12; (3) ff. 15; (4) ff. 14; (5) ff. 12; (6) ff. 12; (7) ff. 14; (8) ff. 12; (9) ff. 18; (10) ff. 18. 27.5 x 19 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 22.4 x 17.5 cm. (average). Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, without furigana or kutōten. 15 lines to page, 24-27 characters to line. Original pale buff covers with original printed title slips, centrally placed. Gedai: E-iri (tsunogaki) osana Genji 繪入 (角書) おさな源氏. No naidai except mokurokudai: 源氏物語. Hashiragaki: [no title] , maki no. + folio no. Edition: Osana Genji was first published in Kanbun 6 (1666). Two editions were published in Kanbun 10 (1670), the second issued by Shōkai 松會 of Edo, like the present copy. Two later reprints of this edition were published, one with a kanki dated Enpō 9 (1681) 延寶九年初春日 and the other with date deleted from the block. A further dated edition was issued by Shōkai in Kanbun 12 (1672). It seems probable that the present copy belongs to the undated Shōkai edition of Enpō 9 or to a later reprint of the Kanbun 10 (1670) edition. Contents: A condensed version of Genji monogatari 源氏物語, abridged and simplified for young people. Usually classed as a kana-zōshi. Author's preface on fol. 1a of maki 1.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired by purchase, 5 August 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 5. Literature - fiction 国文-小説 f. Kana-zōshi 仮名草子

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 1, p. 487; text reprinted in Kinsei bungei sōsho 近世文芸叢書, vol. 7.