Sanzesō 三世相

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or.65.c.61
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1635
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 2 volumes Condition: Fair to good. Some worm damage, unrepaired. Brown stains in both maki. Impression: Variable. In places fairly sharp, elsewhere blocks show considerable wear. Illustrations: Profusely illustrated with small sumizuri woodcuts throughout the text, in primitive but appealing Chinese style. Amusing vignettes of human figures, personified stars, birds and animals. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Yuan Tiangang 袁天綱, astrologer and physiognomist, d. 627. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Nakano Kozaemon, Kan'ei 12, 1635. Mokki on fol. 54b of maki 下 reads: 寛永乙亥孟夏吉旦 ／ 中野小左衞門刊行. Description: 2 kan, 2 satsu. (上) ff. 54; (下) ff. 54. 26.5 x 19.5 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 22.9-23.8 x 18.5 cm. Single-line borders. Vertical and horizontal rules used as page-dividers in places. 'Flower petal' fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text with printed okurigana and kaeriten. Lines of variable length and width; characters of varying size. Original mid-blue covers. Renewed title slips on left, with manuscript gedai: En Tenkō [i.e. Yuan Tiangang] enkin 袁天罡演禽. No naidai. Title from hashiragaki: Sanzesō 三世相巻上 (下) + folio no. In a modern chitsu case. Edition: the only Japanese edition of this work. Contents: Japanese version of a Chinese manual of divination and astrology, based on human physiognomy, dates of birth, etc. Derived from a mix of popular religious and philosophic sources.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Richard Lane, 19 Nov. 1956.

Other Finding Aids

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). A. Chinese works 漢籍 10. Fine and amateur arts 芸術・諸芸

Bibliography

Naikaku bunko kanseki bunrui mokuroku 内閣文庫漢籍分類目録, p. 246; Descriptive catalogue of Japanese and Chinese illustrated books in the Ryerson Library of the Art Institute of Chicago , p. 30; Edo jidai shoki eiri-bon hyakushu 江戸時代初期絵入本百種, pp. 114, 186.