Kenjo monogatari 賢女物語

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16107.h.4
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1669
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 5 volumes Condition: Fair to good. Some worm damage, chiefly in margins, and soiled corners. Impression: Atozuri, from blocks showing considerable wear. Illustrations: A total of 28 single-page and 4 double-page sumizuri illustrations, distributed as follows: (maki 1) 3 single, 2 double; (2) 4 single, 1 double; (3) 7 single; (4) 8 single; (5) 6 single, 1 double. Artist unknown. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Wakan kenjo monogatari 和漢賢女物語. Author/compiler: Manjo 滿女. (Author's name appears at end of preface on fol. 2b in the following form: 洛下芳菊軒某母満書焉.). Imprint: [Kyōto] , Akitaya Gorōbē, Kanbun 9, 1669. Kanki on fol. 18b of maki 5 reads: 寛文九己酉年初夏吉辰 ／ 洛陽寺町 ／ 秋田屋五郎兵衛板行. Description: 5 kan, 5 satsu, in a chitsu case. (Maki 1) ff. 19; (2) ff. 16; (3) ff. 19; (4) ff. 18; (5) ff. 18. 26.4 x 17.8 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 21.2 x 15.9 cm. Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed furigana, dakuten and kutōten. 11 lines to page, 20-24 characters to line. Original blackish-grey covers with embossed lozenge design. Original title slips bearing printed gedai: Wakan (tsunogaki) kenjo monogatari 和漢 (角書) 賢女物語. Title from mokurokudai and naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: Jo kō 女孝 + maki no. + folio no. Edition: The only recorded edition of this work. Contents: A didactic work for the edification of women and girls, containing 30 stories of Chinese and Japanese origin in praise of virtuous and filial conduct in wives and daughters. Classed as a kana-zōshi.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired by purchase, 18 Dec. 1962.

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 f.Kana-zōshi 仮名草子

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 2, p. 448; Katei bunko mokuroku 霞亭文庫目録, p. 35; Edo jidai shoki eiri-bon hyakushu 江戸時代初期絵入本百種, pp. 81, 168.