Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [c. Kan'ei period, 1624-44] . No kanki, but reliably assigned to Kan'ei 寛永 period. Description: 2 kan, 1 satsu, rebound in 1 vol. western style. (Maki 上) ff. 26; (maki 下) ff. 23. 24.6 x 17.3 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 20.5 x 15.6 cm. (average). No borders, except to illustrations. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text without furigana. 11 lines to page, 22-26 characters to line. Original black front cover of maki 上 only, embossed with a lattice and peony design. Original title slip of maki 上 on left, with printed gedai: あさかほのつゆ 上. Title from naidai at head of text of maki 上. Hashiragaki: Asagao jō (ge) あさかほ 上 (下) + folio no. Edition: First recorded edition of this work. Other editions followed in Meireki 4 (1658), Manji 2 (1659), Kanbun 4 (1664), Enpō 8 (1680) and Shōtoku 5 (1715). Contents: A tragic love story of Prince Tsuyu-no-miya 露の宮 and Princess Asagao 朝顔. All the personages in this story have the names of plants. A tale of the Muromachi period (Muromachi jidai monogatari 室町時代物語).
Asagao no tsuyu あさかほのつゆ
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Or.65.b.13
- Dates of Creation
- [1624-1644]
- Language of Material
- Japanese
- Physical Description
- 1 volume Condition: Fair to good, but with lower corners soiled. Impression: Atozuri, from moderately worn blocks. Illustrations: A total of 18 single-page sumizuri woodcuts, 9 in maki 上 and 9 in maki 下. All are hand-coloured (tanroku) in green, yellow and red (partly oxidised). Colouring probably contemporary with publication of book. Seals of ownership: Oblong red seal of Sir Ernest Satow, 英國薩道藏書, on mikaeshi. Oblong red seal within double border, Inanoya zōsho 稲廼舎藏書 (seal of Kusada Tariho 日下田足穂), on fol. 1a of maki 上 and 下 and on fol. 23b of maki 下. Oblong red seal, Momoi bunko 百井文庫 (seal of Momoi Tamehira 百井爲衡), on fol. 1a of maki 上 and on fol. 23b of maki 下. Small round red seal, Shisei 只誠 (seal of Sekine Shisei 關根只誠 ), on fol. 1a of maki 上 and 下. Manuscript notes: Nigori and other reading marks added in red ink.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Donated to the British Museum by (Sir) Ernest M. Satow 13 June 1885.
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 e. Muromachi jidai monogatari 室町時代物語
Bibliography
Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 1, p. 37; Nihon bungaku shoshi 日本文学書誌, p. 659; text reprinted in Kinko shōsetsu shinsan 近古小説新纂 p. 1 and Muromachi jidai monogatari taisei 室町時代物語大成, vol. 1, pp. 390-421 (from a MS. copy).