Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: N.p., Kan'ei 3, 1626. Kanki on fol. 51b of maki 3 reads: 于時寛永三丙刁年長月吉辰. This kanki is believed to apply also to the companion edition of Hōgen monogatari 保元物語, published at the same time (see under Edition below). Description: 3 kan, 3 satsu, in a chitsu case. (1) ff. 48; (2) ff. 47; (3) ff. 51. Each maki begins with a 1-folio mokuroku. 27.2 x 18.7 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 22.5 x 17.4 cm. (average). No borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed furigana, dakuten and kutōten. 12 lines to page, 24-26 characters to line. Renewed covers (late-Edo period) with design of irregular fawn and white horizontal stripes. Renewed blue title slips (damaged) remain on maki 中 and 下, with manuscript gedai: 平治物語. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: Heiji maki 1 (2, 3) 平治巻一 (二, 三) + folio no. Edition: The second blockprinted edition, and the first illustrated edition of this work, preceded by 11 movable type editions of Keichō to Kan'ei periods and the earliest blockprint of Kan'ei 1, 1624 (see Or.59.d.13). An undated edition of the companion work Hōgen monogatari 保元物語 is in the BL collection (see Or.75.g.2) and is believed to belong to the same edition as this. Contents: A war tale (gunki monogatari) which, together with Hōgen monogatari (q. v.), tells of the struggles for imperial succession in the mid-12th century. Heiji monogatari deals with the second and decisive phase (Heiji no ran 平治の乱) of 1160, and places its chief emphasis on incidents in the conflict between the Taira and Minamoto families.
Heiji monogatari 平治物語
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 16052.f.20
- Dates of Creation
- 1626
- Language of Material
- Japanese
- Physical Description
- 3 volumes Condition: Good, except for soiled lower corners (due to frequent handling) and some worm damage (repaired) in upper margins and covers. Impression: Slightly atozuri, printed from moderately worn blocks. Illustrations: A total of 37 single-page sumizuri woodcuts, without hand-colouring, distributed as follows: maki 1, ff. 7a, 10a, 12b, 15a, 18b, 20b, 23b, 27a, 30a, 34b, 36b, 38a, 40a, 42a, 48b; maki 2, ff. 12b, 16b, 21a, 27b, 32a, 34a, 36b, 40b, 45b, 47a; maki 3, ff. 3b, 6a, 8a, 11b, 13b, 18b, 24a, 26a, 30b, 33b, 38b, 43a. Seals of ownership: Square red seal, Kan 緘, and oblong black seal, Hōrei bunko 寶玲文庫 (ex-libris Frank Hawley), on first page of each maki. Also small square green seal, Beisai 米齋 (Kubota Beisai 久保田米齋 ? ), on outer front cover of maki 2.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Rinrōkaku, 4 Jan. 1960.
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 d. Gunki monogatari 軍記物語
Bibliography
Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 5, pp. 399-401; Heiji monogatari shohon no kenkyū 平治物語諸本の研究, in Heike monogatari shohon no kenkyū, furoku 平家物語諸本の研究・附録, pp. 549-51; Kana-zōshi 仮名草子, vol. 1, p. 10, 2 plates, and Descriptive catalogue of Japanese and Chinese illustrated books in the Ryerson Library of the Art Institute of Chicago , pp. 39-40.