Chie kagami 知惠鑑 [知恵鑑]

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16125.d.34
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1660
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Generally good, but with soiled corners in maki 1-2 and yellow stains in maki 7. Impression: Slightly atozuri. Although of the first impression, blocks show marked signs of wear. Illustrations: A total of 60 single-page sumizuri illustrations in Chinese style, distributed as follows: (maki 1) 10; (2) 9; (3) 5; (4) 4; (5) 4; (6) 5; (7) 6; (8) 8; (9) 5; (10) 4. Seals of ownership: Oblong red seal, 只誠藏 (seal of Sekine Shisei 關根只誠) on first page of preface. Also one red and one black square seal (undeciphered) on the same page.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Tsujihara Genpo 辻原元甫, also known as Kikken Sanjin 橘軒散人. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Kojima Yazaemon, n.d. (author's batsu dated Manji 3, 1660). Kanki, printed inkoku outside frame of batsu, fol. 2b, reads: 室町通鯉屋町小嶋弥左衛門梓行. Description: 10 kan, formerly in 10 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. (Maki 1) ff. 2 (preface), 52; (2) ff. 48; (3) ff. 22; (4) ff. 15; (5) ff. 19; (6) ff.18; (7) ff. 43; (8) ff. 44; (9) ff. 32; (10) ff. 21, 2 (batsu). 25.5 x 16.4 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 20.9 x 15 cm. (average). Single-line borders. Single white fishtail design on hanshin. Kana-majiri text with printed furigana and dakuten. 10 lines to page, 23-26 characters to line. Renewed pale fawn front cover of satsu 1 only, with renewed title slip bearing manuscript gedai: 知惠鑑 天. Title from mokurokudai and from naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: Chie kagami 知惠鑑 + maki no. +folio no. Edition: The first and only pre-modern edition of this work, probably published in Manji 3 (1660), the date of batsu at end of maki 10. Contents: A collection of 201 stories and anecdotes drawn from Chinese sources, exemplifying 10 classes of wisdom. A didactic work, classified as a kana-zōshi. Begins with an unsigned preface and ends with a batsu by the author, signed Kikken Sanjin 橘軒散人, dated Manji 3 (1660).

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from William Anderson, 13 Feb. 1894.

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 f. Kana-zōshi 仮名草子

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 4, p. 217; Kinsei bungaku mikanbon sōsho, kana-zōshi hen 近世文学未刊本叢書・仮名草子篇, pp. 6-8, 173-369.