Jinten ainōshō 塵添壒囊鈔

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or.64.d.6
  • Dates of Creation
    • [1650-1700]
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 2 volumes Condition: Very good. Few brown stains at end, worm damage negligible. Impression: For the most part sharp and clear, but with signs of block wear in places. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Unknown. Writer describes himself in preface as Shakushi soregashi biku 釋氏某比丘. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [early Edo period, c. 1650-1700 ?] . Batsubun at end of maki 20 (fol. 32b) refers to the earlier work Ainōshō, on which this work is based, giving the name of the compiler, Gyōyo 行譽, and the date when compilation was completed, Bun'an 3, 1446. This batsubun ends: 于時文安三年丙寅五月廿五日 終書功畢 ／ 觀勝寺 金剛佛子行譽. Description: 20 kan, 20 satsu, now rebound in 2 vols. (western style). 25.6 x 17.7 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 21.6 x 16.5 cm. Double-line borders with 'flower petal' fishtail design on hanshin. Katakana-majiri text with printed furigana and kutōten. Some passages in kanbun with printed okurigana and kaeriten. 11 lines to page, 21 characters to line. Original mid-blue front covers of maki 1 and maki 11 only, each set of 10 kan within a half-leather western style binding. Original printed title slips (on surviving covers) with gedai: Shinpan (tsunogaki) jinten ainōshō 新板 (角書) 塵添壒囊鈔. Title from naidai. Hashiragaki: Ainōshō maki 1 (etc.) 壒囊鈔巻一 (等) + folio no. Edition: Published as a revised and enlarged version of Ainōshō 壒囊鈔, probably c. Kanbun period (1661-73). The 2-page kanbun preface, printed in gyōsho script, is signed Shakushi soregashi biku 釋氏某比丘 and dated Tenbun 1, 1532. This refers to the date when the work was completed, not printed. Contents: A compendium of miscellaneous information on a wide variety of topics, ranging from Chinese and Japanese traditional lore to the etymology of kanji. The compiler, in selecting material, drew upon two earlier works: Chiribukuro 塵袋 and Ainōshō 壒囊鈔, compiled by the monk Gyōyo 行譽 in 1446, and published in Shōhō 3, 1646. From the mid-Edo period, Jinten ainōshō was regarded as a revised and enlarged edition of Ainōshō and surpassed it in popularity.

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).C. Japanese works 和書 1. Encyclopedias and works of general scope 事典・一般書

Bibliography

Kokusho sōmokuroku 国書総目録, vol. 4, p. 736; Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 3, p. 495; Jinten ainōshō, ainōshō 塵添壒囊鈔•壒囊鈔 (facsim. edition).