Author/compiler: Ikkyū 一休, also known as Sōjun 宗純, Zen monk of Rinzai sect, 1394-1481. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [c. Genna / Kan'ei period, 1615-44] . No colophon. Description: 1 kan, 1 satsu, in a chitsu case of silk brocade. ff. 17 (folios numbered on inner edge verso of each leaf, partly concealed by binding). 27.3 x 18.9 cm. Fukurotoji. Movable type. Printing frame 22.2 x 15.8 cm. (average). No borders. No printed hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, without furigana or punctuation. 11 lines to page, 18-20 characters to line. Dark brown covers, probably original, damaged but skilfully repaired, covered with illegible scribbles. No title slip or gedai. No naidai. Title from manuscript note by Kōbunsō on mikaeshi. Edition: Although at least 5 movable type editions of this work were published between Keichō and Kan'ei periods, this copy differs from all of them, including the Kan'ei edition in Ryūmon Bunko having 11 lines to the page and 18-20 ji to the line. It must therefore be regarded as an ishokuji-ban 異植字版, hitherto unrecorded. Contents: A brief exposition of Zen Buddhist teachings expressed in simple Japanese, with poems included. Followed, after fol. 5, by another work, Ninin bikuni 二人比丘尼, later developed into a kana-zōshi. Text ends on fol. 17 with name of compiler, Ikkyū 一休.
[Ikkyū mizukagami] [一休水鏡]
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 16006.c.26
- Dates of Creation
- [1615-1644]
- Language of Material
- Japanese
- Physical Description
- 1 volume Condition: Fair. Brown stains on most folios. Minor worm damage, mostly repaired. Damage to fore-edges of folios repaired by urauchi. Impression: A poor impression, printed from badly worn type. Seals of ownership: Circular red seal on first page, red seal shaped like a Chinese bronze vessel on last page. Both undeciphered.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Kōbunsō, 3 May 1976.
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
Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 1, p. 183; Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 606, 936; Ryūmon bunko zenpon shomoku 竜門文庫善本書目, p. 156, pl. 138; text reprinted, with bibliographical notes, from Keichō movable type edition in Kokkai, in Kana-zōshi shūsei 仮名草子集成, vol. 5, pp. 213-25, 375-7.