Shotenden 諸天傳 [諸天伝]

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 ORB 30/143
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1661
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Very good. Impression: Sharp and clear, with little sign of block wear. Seals of ownership: Red oblong seal of Sir Ernest Satow, 英國薩道藏書, and a smaller square red seal on first page of maki 上. Also three impressions of a double-bordered oblong red seal, Ōyagi zōsho 大八木蔵書, on outer front cover, mikaeshi, and last page of maki 下. Manuscript notes: Contents indicated by a list of the 20 deities on front mikaeshi, followed by a name and date: 武陽沙門 ／ 觀明 ／ 丁未秋求之. A similar shikigo, 真言陀羅尼宗 ／ 沙門 ／ 觀明, is repeated on endpaper of back cover. Both date from late-Edo period. Also a few headnotes in upper margin and interlinear reading marks in black and red.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Jūhen shotenden 重編諸天傳 [重編諸天伝]. Author/compiler: Xingting 行霆, Chinese monk. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Nakano Zesui, Kanbun 1, 1661. Kanki in a single-line frame on last page reads: 寛文元辛丑暦九月吉日 ／ 書林中野是誰板行. Description: 2 kan, 1 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. (上) ff. 2 (preface), 30; (下) ff. 33. 26 x 16.3 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 21.2 x 15.2 cm. Double-line borders with fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text with printed okurigana and kaeriten. 10 lines to page, 18 characters to line. Original buff covers, soiled and repaired by urauchi, within a western style half-leather binding. Hand-lettered title slip added at a later date, with manuscript gedai: Shotenden zen 諸天傳 全. Naidai: Jūhen shotenden 重編諸天傳. Hashiragaki: Shotenden jō 諸天傳上 (ge 下) + folio no. Edition: The first and only pre-Meiji edition. Based on a 12th century Chinese edition, as is attested by the date 乾道癸巳, corresponding to 1173, transcribed in the preface. Contents: Notes on the lives of legendary protective deities in the Buddhist pantheon, including the four deva kings (四天王).

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Purchased by the British Museum from Rev. Andrew Patton, Ballymena 7 April 1906.

Other Finding Aids

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). B. Buddhist works 仏書 1. General works 一般

Bibliography

Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 5, pp. 215, 273; Ryūkoku daigaku wakanjo bunrui mokuroku, bukkyō no bu 竜谷大学和漢書分類目録・仏教之部, p. 797.