Variant title: Kanzeon bosatsu fumonbon 觀世音菩薩普門品 [観世音菩薩普門品]. Variant title: Fumon- bon 普門品. Variant title: Hokekyō fumonbon 法華經普門品 [法華経普門品]. Translator: Kumārajīva, 4th-5th century. Imprint: Seki (Nōshū), Kanesada, Eishō 1, 1504. Colophon reads: 濃州関兼定 ／ 永正元甲子九月日. This kanki, at end of roll, is printed within an elaborate woodcut ornament surmounted by a lotus leaf and resting on a lotus base. 4 lines of ge 偈 (gāthās) occupy the centre of the ornamental frame. Description: 1 kan, 1 roll (kansubon 巻子本) in a wooden box. The roll is made up of 17 sheets, 25-26 cm. in length and 17.4 cm. in height. Blockprint. Printing frame (height) 15.6-16 cm. Single-line borders above and below text. Double borders round frontispiece. Kanbun text, with kutōten added in red. Variable number of lines to sheet (text interspersed with illustrations). 17 characters to line. Dark blue end cover (renewed c. Edo period ?), decorated on outer surface with design of lotus plants in gold paint and square-cut kirikane, and on inner surface with gold leaf. Renewed title slip of gold brocade, with manuscript gedai: Fumonbon 普門品, followed by 永正版. Naidai: Myōhō rengekyō kanzeon bosatsu fumonbon dai nijūgo 妙法蓮華經觀世音菩薩普門品第二十五. Crystal rollers, not original. Edition: The only known copy of this edition of Eishō 1, 1504. The publisher is believed to be identical with Izumi-no-kami Kanesada 和泉守兼定, known as a swordsmith of Mino 美濃 province. Notable as an early example of a provincial publication (地方版). Contents: Illustrated text of the 25th chapter of Myōhō rengekyō (Hokekyō), 妙法蓮華經 (法華經), commonly known as Kannon-gyō and by alternative titles quoted above. In this sutra, often published separately and regarded as a work independent of the Lotus Sutra, those who call upon the bodhisattva Kannon are promised salvation from physical calamity or moral impurity.
Kannongyō 觀音經 [観音経]
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Or.70.a.23
- Dates of Creation
- 1504
- Language of Material
- Japanese
- Physical Description
- 1 scroll Condition: Fair to good. Paper slightly soiled at beginning of roll and at sheet-joins. Roll rebacked throughout. Impression: Blocks show some signs of wear. llustrations: Frontispiece, 15.5 x 12 cm., shows the Buddha Sakyamuni preaching, with the Sanskrit character hrīh (symbolising Amida or the bodhisattva Kannon) issuing from his mouth. On the memorial tablet at left is printed the inscription: 再生敗種爲心腑一乗妙行爲眼目 ／ 顕本遠壽爲其命常住佛性爲咽喉. A series of 40 small woodcuts follows, interspersed among the text, illustrating Buddhist figures and scenes from legends of Kannon's saving powers (変相図) relevant to the text. The illustrations are based on those in an earlier Chinese (Ming) edition of this work, dating from the Xuande 宣徳 period (1426-35). They follow the same order, but differ in execution and are much cruder in style. Seals of ownership: None.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Purchased from Ernest M. Satow, 22 Sept. 1884.
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 2. Basic mahayana scriptures 主要大乗経典
Bibliography
Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 2, p. 125; Nihon kohanga shūsei 日本古版画集成, text vol., p. 167, plates vol. 2, pl. 27-32, 35 (describing and illustrating the present copy); The history of Japanese printing and book illustration, p. 103; Catalogue of Japanese illustrated books and manuscripts in the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library, p. 73 (describing the later edition of Kōji 3 弘治三年, 1557,printed at Anpukuji, Iga province: 伊賀國安福寺版).