Genji kokagami 源氏小鏡

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16107.g.12
  • Dates of Creation
    • [1688-1704]
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 2 volumes Condition: Some water-stained folios and minor worm damage, otherwise good. Impression: Shozuri, sharp and clear. Illustrations: A total of 35 single-page sumizuri woodcuts, 25 in maki 中 and 10 in maki 下, depicting scenes from Genji monogatari. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Unknown, but formerly attributed to Kazan'in Nagachika 花山院長親, died c. 1429. Imprint: [Edo] , Suharaya Mohē, n.d. [c. Genroku period, 1688-1704?] . Kanki on fol. 22b of maki 下 reads: 江府文林堂 ／ 日本橋南壹丁目 ／ 須原屋茂兵衛改正. Description: 2 kan (of 3), 2 satsu, in a box. Incomplete copy, maki 中 and 下 only. (Maki 中) ff. [1] (目録), 42; (maki 下) ff. [1] (目録), 22. 23 x 16.4 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 19.2 x 14.3 cm. (average). No borders, except round illustrations. No printed hanshin. Folios numbered on inner (binding) edge of each folio recto, similar to no. 270 above. Hiragana-majiri text without furigana. 14 lines to page, 26-28 characters to line. Dark blue covers, with original printed title slip on maki 中 bearing gedai: 源氏小鏡中. Title from mokurokudai. No other naidai. Edition: Difficult to identify from standard reference works. Does not agree with any of the editions listed in Genji monogatari chūshakushi no kenkyū 源氏物語注釈史の研究, pp. 855-7. Contents: One of the earliest works explaining and commenting on the text of Genji monogatari 源氏物語; authorship uncertain but believed to date from the mid-14th century in its original form.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired at Glendining's sale, 22 March 1956.

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. 2, p. 403; Genji monogatari chūshakushi no kenkyū 源氏物語注釈史の研究, pp. 854-7.