Utsuho monogatari うつほ物語

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16055.a.17
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1660
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Fair. The upper margin has been cropped. Impression: Atozuri. Evidence of wear on blocks. Illustrations: 12 single-page sumizuri woodcuts, 4 to each satsu. (Satsu 上) ff. 3b, 12a, 22b, 32a; (satsu 中) ff. 37a, 45a, 53b, 63b; (satsu 下) ff. 68a, 76b, 84a, 92a. The illustrations are described in Ryerson Catalogue, p. 46. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Utsubo monogatari 宇津保物語. Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: Rakuyō [Kyōto] , Hayashi Izuminojō, Manji 3, 1660. Kanki on fol. 92 at end of satsu 3 is in two parts: (1) date printed on hanshin, (2) publisher and place following last line of text. It reads: (1) 万治三庚子歳仲秋日, (2) 洛陽今出川 林和泉掾開板. Description: 1 kan, 3 satsu now rebound in 1 vol. western style.. (Satsu 上) ff. 1-33; (satsu 中) ff. 34-65; (satsu 下) ff. 66-92. 22.5 x 16 cm. Blockprint. Printing frame 16.8 x 12 cm. (average). Single-line borders framing each page, not whole folio. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed furigana, dakuten and kutōten. 10 lines to page, variable no. of characters to line. Original dark blue covers of vol. 1 only retained. Original title slip on left, with printed gedai: う徒ほ物語. No naidai; title from gedai. Hashiragaki: U う + folio no. Edition: The earliest blockprinted edition, preceded only by three undated movable type editions of Genna / Kan'ei period. Contents: The Tale of the Hollow Tree. A story dating from the late 10th century concerning the legendary life and adventures of Kiyohara (or Kiyowara) no Toshikage 清原俊蔭 and three succeeding generations of his family. There are allusions to this work in Genii monogatari and Makura no sōshi.

Administrative / Biographical History

Kawase w0144

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired by the British Museum 4 December 1871.

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 1, pp. 301-4; Kanrodō bunko kikōbon kōran 甘露堂文庫稀覯本攷覽, fol. 13; Descriptive catalogue of Japanese and Chinese illustrated books in the Ryerson Library of the Art Institute of Chicago , pp. 45-6.