Variant title: Daigaku 大學 [大学]. Variant title: Chūyō 中庸. Variant title: Rongo 論語. Variant title: Mōshi 孟子. Author/compiler: Traditionally Rongo has been ascribed to Kong Qiu 孔丘, known as Kongzi 孔子 or Confucius, and Mōshi to Meng Ke 孟軻, known as Mengzi 孟子. Daigaku and Chūyō unknown. Imprint: N.p., [Go-Yōzei Tennō 後陽成天皇] , Keichō 4, 1599. Date in double-framed mokki on mikaeshi facing first page of each of the four works reads: 大學 (中庸, 論語, 孟子) 慶長 ／ 己亥刋行. Description: 4 kan, formerly in 5 satsu, rebound with chokuhan Kobun kōkyō 古文孝經 in 1 vol. western style. (1-大學) ff. [1] , 4 (序),9; (2-中庸) ff. [1] , 4 (序),18; (3-論語) ff. [1] , 2 (序), 27, 35; (4-孟子) ff. [1] , 5 (題辞), 68, 67. It appears that originally Daigaku and Chūyō were bound together in 1 satsu with Kobun kōkyō (see no. 8 above), whilst Rongo and Mōshi were originally in 2 satsu each. 29.1 x 20 cm. Fukurotoji. Movable type. Printing frame 25.8 x 17.2 cm. Thick single-line borders above and below text, double-line at inner edge of each folded leaf. Vertical rules between columns of text. Fishtail design on hanshin, filled in with solid black above and below title. Kanbun text, without printed kunten or kutōten. 8 lines to page, 17 characters to line. Original covers missing, hence no gedai. Titles from naidai of each work. Hashiragaki: (1) 大學; (2) 中庸; (3) 論語; (4) 孟子 + folio no. after each. In a modern western style half- leather binding. Edition: Keichō chokuhan (Imperial edition of Keichō period) commissioned by Emperor Go-Yōzei from a finely engraved font of movable type newly cut in 1597, based on a font brought from Korea by Hideyoshi's expedition. Uniform edition with Kobun kōkyō 古文孝經, published in the same year, and in this copy bound together with it. Contents: Plain text of the four Confucian classics, printed without Japanese commentary or kunten.
[Shisho] [四書]
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 ORB 30/86/2
- Dates of Creation
- 1599
- Language of Material
- Japanese
- Physical Description
- 1 volume Condition: Generally good. Some worm damage throughout, especially on fore-edges of Mōshi, ff. 4-14, but all carefully repaired. Impression: A clear impression from little-worn type. Seals of ownership: Square red seal, 禰家藏書 (seal of the Ozuki 小槻 family) on first page of former satsu I and 2 of Rongo. Manuscript notes: A few shubiki in Daigaku (preface only). None in Chūyō. Kunten in red and black on first folio of Rongo, and shubiki on ff. 1-6 of 先進 (ch. 11) of Rongo. Copious kunten in black, and shubiki and kutōten in red, throughout text of Mōshi.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Ernest M. Satow, 22 Sept. 1884.
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 2. Chinese classics 経書
Bibliography
Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 184, 377, pl. 7-8; Chokuhan shūei 勅板集影, pp. 18-21, pl. 13-20; Shina gakugei daijii 支那学芸大辞彙, p. 415.