Kokon sanpōki 古今算法記

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16036.c.20
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1670
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Very good. No worm damage or stains, but slight foxing in places. Impression: Atozuri, from worn blocks. Illustrations: Mathematical diagrams and sketches of abacus, printed sumizuri, in all maki. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Sawaguchi Kazuyuki 澤口一之, mathematician, early to mid-Edo period. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Tanaka Shōbē, n.d. [Kanbun 11, 1671] . Batsu dated Kanbun 10 寛文庚戌, 1670. Kanki on fol. 29b of maki 6-7 reads: 京極第五橋書林 ／ 田中庄兵衞壽梓. Description: 5 kan (of 7), formerly in 4 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. Incomplete copy, lacking maki 3 and 4. (Maki 1) ff. 5 (preface + mokuroku + batsu), 52; (2) ff. 35; (5) ff 34; (6-7) ff. 29 (continuous numbering of folios). 22 x 14.4 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 15.4 x 11.9 cm. (average). Single-line borders. Fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text and some kanbun, the latter with printed okurigana and kaeriten. 11 lines to page (kana-majiri), 10 lines (kanbun), variable no. of characters to line. Renewed covers on all 4 satsu, brown paper of poor quality, within a western style leather binding. Original printed title slip of maki 2 only, not pasted on cover but inserted between ff. 21 and 22. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: maki no. and folio no. only, except for prefatory matter (算法･･･ ). Edition: First printed edition (but not first impression). Contents: A treatise on traditional mathematics, comprising a teaching primer, answers to 150 problems posed by Satō Masaoki in his Sanpō kongenki 算法根源記, and 15 further problems set by the author in maki 7. Sawaguchi's batsu is printed on ff. 4-5 of maki 1.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from an unknown source, mid-19th century.

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 14. Physical sciences 自然科学 a. Mathematics 数学

Bibliography

Wasan tosho mokuroku 和算図書目録, p. 32.