Heiji monogatari 平治物語

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16052.f.7
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1685
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Generally good, apart from soiled lower corners and a few stains and ink smudges. All folios have been strengthened by re-backing (urauchi). Impression: Atozuri, from slightly worn blocks. Illustrations: One double-page and 6 single-page sumizuri illustrations, hand-coloured in red, pink, yellow, blue and buff. Illustrator not named, but the style closely resembles that of Hishikawa Moronobu. Moronobu is known to have illustrated an edition of Heiji monogatari, but Ukiyoe jiten 浮世絵事典 and Ehon no kenkyū 絵本の研究 both assign this to Kanbun 寛文 period and not to Jōkyō. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Shinpan e-iri heiji monogatari 新板繪入平治物語 [新板絵入平治物語]. Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [Jōkyō 2, 1685 ?] . No colophon, as maki 1 and 3 are lacking. See under Edition below. Description: 1 kan (of 3). Incomplete copy, maki 2 only. Formerly in 1 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. ff. 25. 26.3 x 18.5 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 22 x 16.8 cm. (average). Single-line borders, enclosing illustrations also. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text with a few furigana, very densely printed. 17 lines to page (except for ff. 1-2 which have 15), variable no. of characters to line (average c. 30 characters). Original paper covers missing, hence no gedai. Title from naidai. Hashiragaki: Heiji 平治 + maki no. + folio no. In a modern western style buckram binding. Edition: Difficult to establish in the absence of a kanki, since maki 3 is lacking. But this copy of maki 2 agrees exactly in number of folios, subject and placing of illustrations, with the edition published by Bundaiya Jirōbē 文臺屋次郎兵衞 in Jōkyō 2 貞享二年 (1685). 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.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired at Glendining's sale, London, 22 March 1956.

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; Kannarai bunko tosho mokuroku 神習文庫図書目録, p. 114.