Muchū mondōshū 夢中問答集

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or.81.c.15
  • Dates of Creation
    • [1620-1630]
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 3 volumes Condition: Fair. Some discolouration of paper on ff. 25-35 of maki 中 and slight water staining in maki 上 and 下. Minimal worm damage in margins, some neatly repaired. Impression: Generally sharp and clear, but type shows some signs of wear. Seals of ownership: (1) Red square seal: Rin'ō 霖翁 on last folio verso of each maki. (2) Red oblong seal: Osaragi Jirō tosho no in 大佛次郎圖書之印 on last folio recto of maki 下.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Soseki 疎石, known as Musō Soseki 夢窓疎石, 1275-1351. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [Genna / Kan'ei period, c. 1620-30.] No colophon. Description: 3 kan, 3 satsu, in a brocade chitsu case. (上) ff. 71; (中) ff. 78; (下) ff. 72. 26.7 x 20 cm. Fukurotoji. Movable type. Printing frame 21.5 x 17.2 cm. Double-line borders, one thick, one thin, with fishtail design on hanshin. Katakana-majiri text with manuscript kutōten added in red. 10 lines to page, 19-22 characters to line. Mid-brown covers (original ?) with embossed design in low relief. Title slips missing. No gedai. Title from naidai. Hashiragaki: Muchū 夢中 jō 上 (han 半, ge 下) + folio no. Edition: Two movable type editions of this work were printed in Genna or Kan'ei period: one (to which the present copy belongs) printed earlier and in larger-sized type than the other. Copies of the latter edition survive in at least three variant forms. The text of both editions was doubtless based on the Gozan-ban of 1342-44, mentioned by Kawase in Gozan-ban no kenkyū 五山版の研究, pp. 102-3 and 451. Contents: Questions on Zen Buddhist teachings put by the warrior leader Ashikaga Tadayoshi to Soseki (Musō Kokushi), and answered by him in simple terms.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Gyokueidō, July 1977.

Other Finding Aids

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993).B. Buddhist works 仏書 11. Zen sect 禅宗

Bibliography

Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 346, 777, pl. 140; Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 10, p. 453; Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 5, p. 674; Gozanban no kenkyū 五山版の研究, pp. 102-3, 451.