Shiji yūshō 四時幽賞

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16015.d.14
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1667
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Good, apart from some soiled folios and minor worm damage in margins. Impression: Slightly atozuri, the blocks showing a moderate degree of wear. Illustrations: A total of 47 sumizuri sketches, in a simple style reflecting Chinese influence, depicting landscapes and figures. The illustrations are attributed by Kokusho sōmokuroku 国書総目録 to Kanō Tan'yū 狩野探幽 and other Kanō artists. Seals of ownership: Square red seal, Eikakusai zō 榮郭齋蔵, and two other square red seals (unidentified), all on first page.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Gao Lian 高濂, author of original text, fl. mid-17th century. Noma Sanchiku 野間三竹, editor, 1608-76. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [Kanbun 8, 1668 ?] . This copy lacks kanki. Description: 2 kan, 1 satsu, in a chitsu case. ff. 57 (continuous foliation). 22.2 x 15.5 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 16.7 x 12.1 cm. (average). Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text with printed okurigana and kaeriten. Variable no. of lines to page and characters to line. Dark blue covers (original), with renewed title slip on left. Manuscript gedai: 四時幽賞. Title from naidai (tobira). Hashiragaki: folio number only. Edition: The only edition was published in Kanbun 8 寛文八年, 1668. The present copy is therefore likely to be of this edition, but lacks the kanki. It contains an undated preface and four batsubun, of which the first is dated Kan'ei 20 寛永二十年 (1643) and the second and fourth Kanbun 7 寛文七年 (1667). Contents: A collection of short passages, each illustrated on the opposite page by a woodcut, by the Chinese writer Gao Lian, describing and reflecting on the changes of the seasons.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired by purchase, 18 March 1966.

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 10. Fine and amateur arts 芸術・諸芸

Bibliography

Kaga bunko mokuroku 加賀文庫目録, p. 528; Edo jidai shoki eiri-bon hyakushu 江戸時代初期絵入本百種, pp. 121, 192.