Ehon hōkan 繪本寶鑑 [絵本宝鑑]

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 16001.c.2
  • Dates of Creation
      1688
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      1 volume Condition: Excellent. A clean copy with no worm damage, but repaired corners in maki 2. Cropped at top and bottom. Impression: An early impression from little-worn blocks. Illustrations: Copiously illustrated with full-page and part-page sumizuri woodcuts, 185 in all, depicting episodes in Chinese history and legend. Tobira-e preceding preface depicts the 16 Lohans 羅漢, printed in pale green, with dragon and cloud border. An interesting early example of printing in colour. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Tachibana Muneshige 橘宗重. Illustrator: Hasegawa Tōun 長谷川等雲, fl. mid- to late-17th century. Imprint: Edo, Hiranoya Seizaburō; Kyōto, Kosaji Han'emon; Ōsaka, Kankidō Shigeyuki, n.d. (kōjo (endnote) dated Jōkyō 5, 1688). Kanki on fol. 37b of maki 6 reads: 東武 平埜屋清三郎 ／ 中華 小佐治半右衛門 ／ 攝陽 貫器堂 ／ 重之梓行. Description: 7 kan, formerly in 6 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. (1) ff. [1] (tobira-e), 5 (prefaces - 発題 + 自序), 7 (目録), 12 (本文); (2) ff. 26; (3) ff. 25; (4) ff. 38; (5) ff. 38; (6) ff. 37. 21.9 x 16.3 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 19 x 14.8 cm. Single-line borders all round. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed furigana, kutōten and dakuten. 11 lines to page, 20-22 characters to line. Original grey-green front cover of maki 1 only, with printed title slip in centre. Gedai (in seal script) : Ehon hōkan 繪本寶鑑. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: Ehon 繪本 + maki no. + folio no. In a western style half-leather binding. Edition: First recorded edition, probably published in Jōkyō 5 (1688), the date given in kōjo 後序. Preface is dated Jōkyō 4 (1687). Contents: A collection of stories and anecdotes derived from ancient China. With its wealth of illustration, the book probably served also as a drawing and painting manual.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from William Anderson, 13 Feb. 1894.

Note

Another copy of no. 611 above, identical with it in all respects except that this copy lacks the tobira-e and has no seals of ownership

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 17. Fine arts 芸術 c. Book illustration 絵本・絵入本