Gokuraku monogatari 極樂物語 [極楽物語]

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16107.g.10
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1668
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 3 volumes Condition: Fair. Some folios water-stained, and many soiled at corners through heavy use. Minor worm damage repaired by urauchi patching. Impression: Generally sharp and clear, but with evidence of slight wear on blocks. Illustrations: A total of 16 sumizuri illustrations, 4 double-page and 12 single-page, distributed as follows: (maki 上) ff. 2b-3a, 5a, 7a, 9a, 12a; (maki 中) ff. 2b-3a, 5a, 7b-8a, 10a, 13a, 16a; (maki 下) ff. 3a, 5a, 8a, 11b-12a, 14a. All depict Buddhist scenes, with costumes in Chinese style. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Uncertain, but traditionally attributed to Eshin 惠心, also known as Genshin 源信, author of Ōjō yōshū 往生要集, 942-1017. Imprint: [Edo] , Shōkai, n.d. [Kanbun 8 寛文八年, 1668] . Undated kanki on fol. 16b of maki 下 reads: 松會開板. Description: 3 kan, 3 satsu, in a box. (Maki 上) ff. 13; (中) ff. 17; (下) ff. 16. 27 x 18.6 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 22.2 x 17.6 cm. Single-line borders. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text with some printed furigana. 15 lines to page, 22-24 characters to line. Original mid-blue covers, with renewed title slips on left bearing manuscript gedai: 極樂物語. Title from mokurokudai in maki 上 and from naidai at head of text in maki 中 and 下. Hashiragaki: Shō 4 (5, 6) 生 四 (五, 六) + folio no. Edition: Although undated, this copy belongs almost certainly to the edition of Kanbun 8 (1668). Contents: A kana-zōshi work, heavily influenced by Buddhism and dealing largely with the Western Paradise of Amida.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired at Glendining's sale, 22 March 1956.

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 5. Literature - fiction 国文-小説 f. Kana-zōshi 仮名草子.