Ninin bikuni 二人比丘尼

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16107.g.21
  • Dates of Creation
    • [1655-1658]
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 2 volumes Condition: Fair to poor. Many folios stained, soiled and damaged. Some worm damage (unrepaired), chiefly in maki 上. Fol. 27 missing. Impression: Atozuri, from slightly worn blocks. Illustrations: A total of 18 single-page sumizuri woodcuts on ff. 2a, 4a, 5b, 7a, 8a, 9a, 10a, 12a, 14b, 15 / 16b, 18a, 19a, 20a, 21b, 22b, 23b, 25a, 29b. Seals of ownership: Oblong red seals of Okada Tadashi 岡田眞之藏書 and Ōsawa-shi zōshoki 大澤氏蔵書記 (seal of Ōsawa Kiyoomi 大澤清臣 ? ), on first page of maki 上, the latter repeated in maki 下. Square red seal of Richard Lane 嶺韻, printed inkoku, on fol. 1a of maki 上 and fol. 29a of maki 下. Manuscript notes: Note in black ink on inner back cover of maki 下 : 万治四年 ／ 正月吉日 ／ 五条天史 (花押) ／ 舟屋町 ／ 勘十郎 ／ 正保刊本.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Suzuki Shōsan 鈴木正三 (sometimes read Shōzō), 1579-1655. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [c. Meireki period (1655-58) or earlier] . No colophon. But see manuscript notes below. Description: 2 kan, 2 satsu, in a box. (Maki 上) ff. 1-14; (maki 下) ff. 15 / 16, 17-29. 26.8 x 17.3 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 20.5 x 15.5 cm. (average). Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed furigana, dakuten and kutōten. 11 lines to page, 18-22 characters to line. Original mid-brown covers, with original printed title slips. Gedai: 二人ひくに. Title from naidai at head of maki 上. Hashiragaki: 二人ひくに + folio no. Edition: Undated edition, possibly of Meireki period (1655-58). Contents: A kana-zōshi story reflecting the author's views on the brevity of life, the vanity of human achievements and the solace afforded by Buddhist monastic seclusion.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Richard Lane, 19 Nov. 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 f. Kana-zōshi 仮名草子

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 4, p. 615; Edo bungaku zuroku 江戸文学図録, p. 6, pl. 18-9; Edo jidai shoki eiri-bon hyakushu 江戸時代初期絵入本百種, pp. 30-1, 142.