Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [Keichō-Kan'ei period, c. 1615-25]. Kango reads: 伊勢物語新刊就余需勘挍抑京極黄 ／ 門一本之奥書云此物語之根源古人之説 / 不同云 如今以天福年所被與孫女本正之 ／ 然而猶恐有訂挍之遺欠也更圖畫巻中 ／ 之趣分以爲上下是雖不足動好女人情 ／ 聊爲令悦稚童眼目而已 ／ 慶長戊申仲夏上浣. Description: 2 kan, formerly in 2 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. (western style). (Maki 上) ff. [51]; (maki 下) ff. [64] (folios unnumbered). The illustration from fol. [12b] has been cut out and transposed to the end of maki 上. 24.2 x 18 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 22-22.5 x 16 cm. No borders. No printed hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text. 9 lines to page, 18 characters to line. Renewed front cover of maki 上 only, printed with a blue check pattern, late-Edo period. Title slip of same period with manuscript gedai: Ise monogatari 伊勢物語. Modern half-leather binding, western style. Text and illustrations printed on paper of varying colours. Edition: Blockprinted edition modelled on the movable type edition of Keichō 13 (1608) and printed c. late-Keichō to early-Kan'ei period, c. 1615-25. Contents: A collection of lyrical episodes, combining prose and waka poetry, composed in the mid-10th century by an unknown author of the Imperial Court. Formerly attributed to the 9th century poet Ariwara no Narihira 在原業平.
Ise monogatari 伊勢物語
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Or.64.c.35
- Dates of Creation
- [1615-1625]
- Language of Material
- Japanese
- Physical Description
- 1 volume Condition: Good, apart from a few soiled folios at lower fore-edge. Cropped at upper and lower edges. Impression: Atozuri, especially in some of the illustrations. Possibly an earlier impression than no. 278 above. Illustrations: A total of 49 sumizuri woodcuts, 25 in maki 上 and 24 in maki 下, in yamatoe style. This is the earliest work of classical Japanese literature to contain printed illustrations. Seals of ownership: Two oblong red seals on blank folio la (preceding first page of text): (1) Eikoku Asuton zōsho 英國阿須頓藏書, seal of William George Aston; (2) Hamada-kō no fu no tosho 濱田侯之府之図書, seal of the Matsudaira family (Hamada branch) 松平家 (濱田藩主 ). Also a square black seal, unidentified.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquired from William Anderson, 27 July 1882.
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 a. Early monogatari 古物語.
Bibliography
Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 1, pp. 153-6; Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 430-40, 855; Sagabon zukō 嵯峨本図考, pp. 23-41, pl. 7-27; Hōsho yoroku 訪書余録, vol. 6, pl. 27 (1-3).