Shūeki 周易

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 ORB 30/177
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1605
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Cropped at top and bottom, otherwise good. Minor worm damage along upper edge, repaired by urauchi. Some water staining affecting upper margins. Impression: Shows little sign of type wear. Seals of ownership: One red seal, incomplete and illegible, on mikaeshi.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Unknown. Text edited with notes by Wang Bi 王弼. Imprint: N.p. [Fushimi 伏見] , Jōtai 承兌, Keichō 10 慶長十年, 1605. Last two lines of long kango or batsubun, written and signed by Jōtai (or Shōtai) 承兌 read: 慶長十年星集乙巳孟夏初五日 ／ 鹿苑西笑叟承兌. Description: 6 kan, formerly in 3 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. (1) ff. 32; (2) ff. 22; (3) ff. 24; (4) ff. 28; (5) ff. 30; (6) ff. 23, [1] (跋). 25.6 x 18.3 cm. Fukurotoji. Movable type. Printing frame 21.8-22.1 x 16.2 cm. Double-line borders all round. Vertical rules between columns. 'Flower petal' fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text without printed kunten. Manuscript okurigana and kaeriten added in maki 1 only. 8 lines to page (large characters), 16 lines (small characters), 17 characters to line. Renewed pale fawn front cover (late-Edo period) of satsu 1 only. Manuscript gedai: 慶長活版 ／ 周易註. Title from naidai. Hashiragaki: Shūeki maki 1 (etc.) 周易巻一 (等) + folio no. In a western style half-leather binding. Edition: Fushimi-ban, published by Jōtai 承兌 at the command of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Seishō Jōtai 西笑承兌, a scholar-monk of the Rinzai sect appointed to the Shōkokuji 相國寺 in 1584, was a trusted adviser to both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu in religious and diplomatic affairs. He was responsible also for supervising the publication of another Fushimi-ban, Jōgan seiyō 貞觀政要, and a Hideyori-ban, Teikan zusetsu 帝鑑圖説. It is probable that the monk San'yō 三要, who supervised the publication of several other Fushimi-ban, was also to some extent involved in publishing this edition of Shūeki 周易. All Fushimi editions employed a similar hanshiki, including the present work. Contents: Text of Zhouyi 周易 or Yijing 易經, the Book of Changes, with commentary by Wang Bi 王弼.

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

Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 216-7, 371, 695, pl. 26; Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 1, p. 342; Kokuritsu kokkai toshokan shozō kichōsho kaidai 国立国会図書館所蔵貴重書解題, vol. 2, p. 53; Daitōkyū kinen bunko kichōsho kaidai 大東急記念文庫貴重書解題, vol. 1, p. 60; Ryūmon bunko zenpon shomoku 竜門文庫善本書目, p. 170, pl. 148.