Jūjō Genji 十帖源氏

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 16107.h.1
  • Dates of Creation
      1661
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      10 volumes Condition: Very good, except for a few soiled corners and rubbed covers of satsu 1. Impression: Shozuri or near. Illustrations: A total of 131 single-page sumizuri woodcuts illustrating the Genji story, distributed as follows: (maki 1) 9; (2) 14; (3) 14; (4) 9; (5) 18; (6) 14; (7) 15; (8) 12; (9) 15; (10) 11. Artist not named, but generally believed to be Nonoguchi Ryūho, author of the text. Seals of ownership: None.

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: N.p., n.d. [c. Manji 4 万治四年 = Kanbun 1 寛文元年, 1661] . No colophon. See under Edition below. Description: 10 kan, 10 satsu, in a box. Folios unnumbered on hanshin; foliation appears only sporadically on inner (binding) edge, elsewhere hidden by fukurotoji sewing. (Maki 1) ff. [29]; (2) ff. [46]; (3) ff. [45]; (4) ff. [28]; (5) ff. [45]; (6) ff. [45]; (7) ff. [50]; (8) ff. [38]; (9) ff. [48]; (10) ff. [40] . 27.1 x 19.3 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 19.5 x 16.9 cm. No borders, except round illustrations (single-line). No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text without printed furigana. 11 lines to page, 20-22 characters to line. Renewed pale blue-grey covers, embossed with a lozenge and chrysanthemum design. Renewed title slips, centrally placed, of marbled paper. Manuscript gedai: Jūjō genji 十帖源氏. No naidai. Title from gedai. No hashiragaki or other printing on hanshin. Edition: The only edition with complete kanki is that of Manji 4 (1661), published by Araki Rihē 荒木利兵衞. According to Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, another edition exists, also dated Manji 4 but without publisher's name, and a further edition lacking both kanki and batsu. (The present copy contains a batsu signed by Ryūho.) The sequence of editions is not clear, but all are likely to have been published in (or soon after) Manji 4 (1661). Contents: A popular summary of the story of Genji monogatari, written c. Jōō period (1652-55). A short preface (ff. 1-2), unsigned, sets the story in context and this is followed by a condensed version of all 54 chapters of Genji, including most of the waka poems. Classed as a kana-zōshi.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Rinrōkaku, 4 Jan. 1960.

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. 3, p. 277; Kanrodō bunko kikōbon kōran 甘露堂文庫稀覯本攷覽, fol. 14.