Yūshō ressen zenden 有象列仙全傳 [有象列仙全伝]

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16087.b.20
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1650
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Very good. No worm damage and few stains. Impression: Atozuri, from worn blocks. Illustrations: A total of 192 single-page sumizuri illustrations depicting many of the celebrities figuring in the text, all drawn in Chinese style. Seals of ownership: None. Manuscript notes: Romanized transliteration of names in mokuroku, written in pencil. A few shubiki and other red marks scattered through the text.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Ressen zenden 列仙全傳 [列仙全伝]. Author/compiler: Wang Shizhen 王世貞, 1526-93. Text revised and published (in China) by Wang Yunpeng 汪雲鵬. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Fujita Shōemon , Keian 3, 1650. Kanki on fol. 21b of maki 9 reads: 慶安三歳次庚寅季秋初六日刋行 ／ 寺町通三条上町 藤田庄右衞門. Description: 9 kan, formerly in 9 satsu, rebound in 1 vol. western style. (Maki 1) ff. 8 (目録), 38; (2) ff. 41; (3) ff. 36; (4) ff. 35; (5) ff. 35; (6) ff. 33; (7) ff. 37; (8) ff. 30; (9) ff. 21. 24.6 x 15 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 20.5 x 12.9 cm. (average). Double-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text with printed kunten and kutōten. 11 lines to page, 22 characters to line. Renewed dark maroon front cover only, with manuscript title slip bearing gedai: Ressen zenden 列仙全傳. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: 列仙全傳 + maki no. + folio no. In a western style half-leather binding. Edition: The only known Japanese edition of this work. Contents: Brief lives of 497 Chinese 'immortals', including legendary figures, philosophers, poets, etc. Japanese edition of a Chinese work of the same title.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from William Anderson, 27 July 1882.

Other Finding Aids

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993).A. Chinese works 漢籍 4. History and biography 歴史•伝記

Bibliography

Descriptive catalogue of Japanese and Chinese illustrated books in the Ryerson Library of the Art Institute of Chicago , pp. 32-4 (describing subjects of illustrations); Shina gakugei daijii 支那学芸大辞彙, p. 1404.