Wajiga 和爾雅

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16120.c.5
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1694
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Excellent. A clean copy with no worm damage. Maki 6 and 7 have been transposed in rebinding. Impression: Shozuri or near. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Kaibara Yoshifuru (also read Kōko) 貝原好古, known as Chiken 恥軒, nephew (or adopted son) of Kaibara Ekiken, 1664-1700. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Uejima Sehei, Nagao Heibē, Mizutani Kohē, Ōi Shichirōbē, Genroku 7, 1694. Kanki on fol. 2b of batsu following maki 8 reads: 元禄甲戌歳秋季日 ／ 書林 ／ 上島瀬平 ／ 長尾平兵衛 ／ 水谷小兵衛 ／ 大井七郎兵衛 ／ 仝梓. Description: 8 kan, formerly in 9 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. Maki 1 is subdivided into 上 and 下. (Maki 1 上) ff. [1] (tobira), 7 (two prefaces), 7 (hanrei + mokuroku), 35; (maki 1 下) ff. 50; (maki 2) ff. 52; (3) ff. 27; (4) ff. 33; (5) ff. 30; (6) ff. 29; (7) ff. 27; (8) ff. 29, 2 (batsu). 22.3 x 16.3 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 18.8 x 14.1 cm. (average). Single-line borders. Fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text, with printed furigana, okurigana and kaeriten. 8 lines to page (large characters), 16 lines (small characters), 17 characters to line (small characters). Original grey-green front cover of maki 1 上 only, with original printed title slip on left and an additional square contents slip in centre. gedai: Wajiga 龢 [= 和] 爾雅. Title from naidai. Hashiragaki: 和爾雅 + maki no. + folio no. Edition: First edition, followed by 3 others in Shōtoku 6 (1716), Kyōhō 3 (1718) and Kyōhō 6 (1721). Contents: A classified encyclopedia of words, names and phrases drawn from Chinese and Japanese literary sources, arranged under 24 main categories. Modelled on the Chinese encyclopedic work Erya 爾雅. Terms are explained in kanbun. First preface, dated Genroku 2 (1689), is signed Chikudō 竹洞 (=Hitomi Yūgen 人見友元); second preface, dated Genroku 7 (1694), written and signed by Kaibara Atsunobu 貝原篤信 (Ekiken); hanrei by the compiler; batsu, dated Genroku 1 (1688) signed Saihō Sanjin 西峯散人 (=Matsushita Kenrin 松下見林).

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Alexander von Siebold, 22 July 1868.

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 3. Language 言語 a. Dictionaries and script 辞書・字書

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 6, p. 353; text reprinted in Ekiken zenshū 益軒全集, vol. 7.