Seiashō 井蛙抄

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16100.c.30
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1648
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 5 volumes Condition: Good. A clean copy, but with worm damage to front cover and first few folios of maki 5. Impression: Atozuri from slightly worn blocks. Seals of ownership: Circular red seal (undeciphered) on first page of each maki.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Ton'a 頓阿, monk and poet, 1289-1372. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Yamaya Jiemon, Keian 1, 1648. Kanki on fol. 31b of maki 6 reads: 慶安元年下秋吉旦 ／ 二條通松屋町山屋治右衛門. Description: 6 kan, 5 satsu, in a chitsu case. (Maki 1) ff. 19; (2) ff. 19; (3) ff. 19; (4) ff. 33; (5) ff. 5; (6) ff. 31. (Maki 5 and 6 are bound together in satsu 5.) 26.6 x 17.2 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 21.6 x 14.9 cm. (average). Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text with printed furigana. 9 lines to page, variable no. of characters to line. Original greyish-brown covers, with embossed peony and lattice design. Original printed title slips on left bearing gedai: 井蛙抄. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Hashiragaki: 井蛙抄 + maki no. + folio no. Edition: The earliest printed edition, followed by others in Jōkyō 3 (1686), Hōei 6 (1709), Hōreki 2 (1752) and Kaei 5 (1852). For the 1686 edition, re-titled E-iri waka no tebiki 繪入和哥の手引 (see 16100.c.34). Contents: A composite work on waka poetical theory, quoting freely from the works of other writers with simple explanations. Compiled by Ton'a in the mid-14th century, probably at some date before 1364. A batsubun on fol. 31 of maki 6 contains notes by three different writers dated Entoku 1 (1489), Meiō 9 (1500) and Kyōroku 3 (1530), after examining the work in manuscript.

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 7. Literature - poetry 国文-詩歌 b. Waka 和歌

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 3, p. 568.