Nanatsu iroha 七いろは

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or.75.h.4(1)
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1688
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Generally good. Impression: Atozuri, from blocks showing distinct signs of wear. Seals of ownership: Octagonal British Museum stamp, MVSEVM BRITANNICVM, on penultimate folio. Manuscript notes: Notes on two slips attached to front cover: (1) Japanese Alphabets; (2) The Japanese E ro fa or collection of syllables with Chinese characters classd under them according to their Japanese pronunciation, etc. Notes throughout the book in black and red, in Kaempfer's hand, giving transcriptions in roman script of many words. Note on inner front cover (detached from mikaeshi) : A Book of Characters which Chetqua is not acquainted with. Decr. 17. 1770. Old shelfmark: Pr: Or: 113.

Scope and Content

Alternative reading of title: Nana iroha. Alternative reading of title: Shichi iroha. Author/compiler: Unknown. Imprint: [Kyōto] , Hon'ya Kyūbē (=Shōhon'ya Kyūbē 正本屋九兵衞, =Yamamoto Kyūbē 山本九兵衞), Jōkyō 5, 1688, Kanki on unnumbered last folio verso reads: 貞享五年二月日 本や九兵衛板. Description: 1 kan, 1 satsu, in a box. ff. [1] (mikaeshi), 8 (honmon), 1 (篇并冠盡), 4 (諸國并御城下), [2] (名 (ママ) 荷屋・庄八 [等] 十月のからなつくし). 220 x 160 mm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 190 x 150 mm. (average). Single-line borders round text on mikaeshi and penultimate folio, double-line borders round honmon, with 'flower petal' fishtail design on hanshin, elsewhere no borders. Vertical rules between columns in honmon and last 2 folios. Kanji and hiragana-majiri text with printed furigana. 4 lines to page, 7 characters to line (in honmon). Original black covers. Original title slip containing brief list of contents on right and the following printed gedai on left: 新板 ／ 大字 ／ 改正 ／ ひらかな両てん付 ／ 七いろは ／ 直傳馬 ／ 正本屋 ／ 九兵衛. No naidai. Title from gedai. No hashiragaki, other than numbering on some folios. Edition: A revised reprint of an earlier edition (see Or75.h.4(2)). Contents: The iroha syllabary with seven specimen kanji for each syllable, and kun readings indicated in furigana. Followed by the zodiacal signs, forms of radicals, names of provinces and castle towns, etc. The iroha syllabary in katakana is pasted as an okuzuke on inner back cover.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Purchased from the estate of Engelbert Kaempfer by Sir Hans Sloane 1723-1725 and incorporated in the British Museum in 1753.

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 8. Literature - poetry 国文-詩歌 d. Jōruri 浄瑠璃

Bibliography

Tōhoku daigaku fuzoku toshokan betchibon mokuroku 東北大学附属図書館別置本目録, p. 53.