Utsuho monogatari うつほ物語

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16055.cc.3
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1677
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 30 volumes Condition: Excellent. A clean copy, free from water stains and worm damage. Impression: Atozuri, from blocks showing marked evidence of wear. Illustrations: A total of 123 single-page sumizuri illustrations, distributed as follows: (Satsu 1) 5; (2) 4; (3) 4; (4) 6; (5) 5; (6) 2; (7) 4; (8) 3; (9) 3; (10) 3; (11) 6; (12) 3; (13) 5; (14) 3; (15) 5; (16) 5; (17) 4; (18) 2; (19) 3; (20) 4; (21) 6; (22) 3; (23) 6; (24) 4; (25) 4; (26) 4; (27) 4; (28) 6; (29) 3; (30) 4. Seals of ownership: Three large square red seals impressed one above another on blank spaces in each of the 30 satsu. (1) Hirado-han zōsho 平戸藩蔵書; (2) Shison eihō 子孫永寶; (3) Rakusaidō toshoki 樂歳堂圖書記. All three are ex-libris stamps used by Matsuura Seizan 松浦靜山.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Utsubo monogatari 宇津保物語. Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: N.p., Enpō 5, 1677. Publisher not named. Kanki on fol. 58b of maki 20 (國ゆつり) reads: 延寶五丁巳年 ／ 初春吉辰開板. Description: 20 kan, 30 satsu, in 3 boxs. (Satsu 1) ff. 1-43 (maki 1a); (2) ff. 44-88 (maki 1b); (3) ff. 51 (maki 2); (4) ff. 56 (maki 3); (5) ff. 1-49 (maki 4a); (6) ff. 50-83 (maki 4b); (7) ff. 1-31 (maki 5a); (8) ff. 32-72 (maki 5b); (9) ff. 1-28 (maki 6a); (10) ff. 29-65 (maki 6b); (11) ff. 54 (maki 7); (12) ff. 31 (maki 8); (13) ff. 34 (maki 9); (14) ff. 24 (maki 10); (15) ff. 47 (maki 11); (16) ff. 48 (maki 12); (17) ff. 1-35 (maki 13a); (18) ff. 36-68 (maki 13b); (19) ff. 69-105 (maki 13c); (20) ff. 28 (maki 14); (21) ff. 1-53 (maki 15a); (22) ff. 54-95 (maki 15b); (23) ff. 1-41 (maki 16a); (24) ff. 42-80 (maki 16b); (25) ff. 28 (maki 17); (26) ff. 1-40 (maki 18a); (27) ff. 41-80 (maki 18b); (28) ff. 1-45 (maki 19a); (29) ff. 46-83 (maki 19b); (30) ff. 58 (maki 20). 27 x 18.2 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 20.3 x 16.1 cm. (average). Single-line borders round text and illustrations. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with kutōten and a few furigana. 11 lines to page, c. 22 characters to line. Original dark blue covers, with original title slips, centrally placed. Printed gedai: Utsuho monogatari う徒ほ物語 + chapter titles and divisions. No naidai. Hashiragaki: abbreviated title of each maki + maki no. + folio no. Edition: First edition of the complete text of this work, followed by two other blockprinted editions in Bunka 3 (1806) and Bunsei 1 (1818). The order of chapters (maki) in the present edition differs from that in other (manuscript) copies of the work and in the Bunka 3 edition. Most versions begin with Toshikage no maki 俊蔭の巻, whereas the present edition begins with Kura-biraki 藏ひらき and ends with Kuni yuzuri 國ゆつり (see table in Nihon koten bungaku taikei 日本古典文学大系, vol. 12, pp. 4-5). 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.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Rinrōkaku, 2 April 1964.

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. 301-4; Utsuho monogatari 宇津保物語 (Nihon koten bungaku taikei 日本古典文学大系, vols. 10-12).