Rongo [shikkai] 論語 [集解]

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 ORB 30/171
  • Dates of Creation
      1390-1450
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      1 volume Condition: Reasonably good, apart from unrepaired worm damage in places, and missing lower comers of fore-edges of all folios in maki 1-2, due to ravages by rodents. Impression: Atozuri, from slightly worn blocks. Seals of ownership: (1) Oblong red seal, Taki-shi zōshoin 多紀氏藏書印, seal of the Taki family of physicians, on first page of each satsu. (2) Square red seal Dokuto sōdō 讀杜艸堂, seal of Terada Bōnan 寺田望南, on first page of each satsu. (3) Two small red seals, 寺田盛業 (inkoku), and 字士弘号望南, both also seals of Terada Bōnan, on last page of each satsu. (4) Oblong red seal, Tettekijuku 鐵笛塾, on first page of each satsu. (5) Also four unidentified red seals. Manuscript notes: A slip of green paper pasted on the back mikaeshi bears the following shikigo dated Bunka 4, 1807: 文化四年丁卯歳八月諉于堺奉行 / 土屋紀州購之以爲家藏 / 丹波元簡記. Tanba 丹波 (or Taki 多紀) Motoyasu 元簡 was an eminent physician of the Edo period, 1755-1810. A letter addressed to Terada Bōnan 寺田望南 has been pasted on a separate sheet at the end of maki 4.

Scope and Content

Alternative reading of title: Rongo shūkai. Author/compiler: He Yan 何晏, 3rd century. Imprint: Sakai 堺, Dōyū 道祐, Shōhei 19 正平甲辰, 1364. Kango reads: 堺浦道祜 居士重新命工鏤梓 / 正平甲辰五月吉日謹誌 [date of first edition] . This copy was in fact printed somewhat later, c. 1390-1450. Description: 10 kan, formerly in 5 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. (1) ff. 16; (2) ff. 16; (3) ff. 20; (4) ff. 18; (5) ff. 19; (6) ff. 22; (7) ff. 26; (8) ff. 19; (9) ff. 17; (10) ff. 12. 27.3 x 21 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame varies between 21 and 22 x 18.5 cm. (average). Single-line borders all round. Vertical rules between columns. No fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text, with manuscript kunten (okurigana and bōchū) and kaeriten added in Muromachi period. 6 lines to page (large characters-本文), 12 lines (smaller characters-註釈), 13 characters (large) to line. Original reddish-brown front cover of satsu 1 only. Title slip missing. No gedai. Title from naidai. Hashiragaki: [no title] , maki no. + folio no. In a western style half-leather binding, now badly rubbed. Edition: Gozan-ban. Second edition of the celebrated Shōhei-ban Rongo 正平版論語, the earliest known surviving non-Buddhist work to be printed in Japan. This copy belongs to the ''tanbatsu-bon'' (単跋本) edition, printed in early Muromachi period, so called because it carries only one of the two kango or batsu (see Imprint above) which are found in the first edition of Shōhei 19, 1364. It lacks the second batsu, reading: 學古神徳楷法日下逸人貫書. As compared with the first edition, the present edition contains a few printing errors such as 祜 for 祐 in kango. Contents: Commentary on the text of the Confucian Analects, compiled by He Yan and other scholars in the Wei period. Superseded in the Song by the commentary of Zhu Xi 朱熹.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Ernest M. Satow, 22 Sept. 1884.

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 2. Chinese classics 経書

Bibliography

Gozanban no kenkyū 五山版の研究, pp. 188, 199, 492, pl. 343-8; Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 73-5, 107-11; Daitōkyū kinen bunko kichōsho kaidai 大東急記念文庫貴重書解題, vol. 1, p. 49; Zushoryō tenseki kaidai, kanseki hen 図書寮典籍解題・漢籍篇, p. 51; Shōhei-ban rongo no kenkyū 正平版論語之研究; Shōhei-bon rongo kō 正平本論語攷, in Nihon shoshigaku no kenkyū 日本書誌学之研究, pp. 1609-95.