Variant title: Shinkan honzō kōmoku 新刊本草綱目. Variant title: Jūtei honzō kōmoku 重訂本草綱目. Author/compiler: Li Shizhen 李時珍. Text revised by Qian Weiqi 錢蔚起. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [c. Kanbun period, possibly Kanbun 9, 1669] . No kanki or other evidence of date. Description: 1 + 52 kan, formerly in 34 satsu, now rebound in 6 vols. western style. (Preliminary maki) ff. [1] (tobira on mikaeshi), 10 (preface-本草綱目序), 6 (second preface-重刻本草綱目序), 9 (third preface-重刊本草綱目序), 5 (進本草綱目疏), 7 (contents-総目), 4 (hanrei 凡例), 1 (･･･ 本草綱目小引, with Chinese date 崇禎庚辰=1640). Maki 1-52 follow, some complete in 1 kan, some divided into 上 and 下, others into 上, 中 and 下. 26.8 x 17.9 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 21 x 14.7 cm. (average). Single-line borders. Single fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text, with printed okurigana and kaeriten. 18 lines to page (smaller characters); 9 lines (larger characters); 19-20 characters to line. Original pale stone-colour front covers of preliminary maki (序, 目録), and maki 5, 14, 19, 31, 43 only, bearing original title slips with printed gedai in seal script: 新刊 (角書) 本草綱目. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Tobira on mikaeshi is printed as follows: 重訂本草綱目 ／ 飜刻千里必究 ／ 武林錢衙藏板. Hashiragaki: Honzō kōmoku 本草綱目 + section heading + maki no. + folio no. In a western style half-leather binding. Edition: Undated Japanese edition modelled on the Ming edition revised by Qian Weiqi 錢蔚起 of Wulin 武林, published not earlier than 1640. The present copy, without colophon, appears to correspond most closely to the edition published in Kanbun 9 寛文九年 (1669), with kunten supplied by Matsushita Kenrin 松下見林 (although his name does not appear in the book). This edition of 1669 belongs to the group of editions known as tenji-bon 篆字本 on account of the seal script used for printing the gedai. Contents: The great Chinese pharmacopoeia Bencao gangmu 本草綱目, compiled by Li Shizhen, and first published in China in 1590. In addition to serving as a materia medica, it also contains much valuable information on botany and natural history in general.
Honzō kōmoku 本草綱目
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Or.59.bb.1
- Dates of Creation
- [1669]
- Language of Material
- Japanese
- Physical Description
- 6 volumes Condition: Good. Minor worm damage in a few places, chiefly a ffecting margins. All vols. cropped at upper edge. Impression: Atozuri, from slightly worn blocks. Many folios seem to have been printed from re-cut (hokoku) blocks. Illustrations: Sumizuri woodcuts, 4 to each page, originally contained in 3 separate kan (本草綱目圖巻上, 中, 下), now distributed in groups of 2-7 folios at the head of each relevant maki. They depict rocks and minerals, plants, fruits and trees, birds, fish and animals, drawn in a very accomplished and realistic manner. Seals of ownership: None.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Alexander von Siebold, 22 July 1868.
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 8. Medicine 医学
Bibliography
Chūgoku isho honzō kō 中国医書本草考, p. 453; Tōkyō daigaku sōgō toshokan koigakusho mokuroku 東京大学総合図書館古医学書目録, p. 69; Honzō kankei tosho mokuroku 本草関係図書目録, pp. 83 (Shirai Bunko), 31 (Ueno Toshokan).