Tsurezuregusa eshō 徒然草繪抄 [徒然草絵抄]

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16108.b.11
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1691
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: Very good, although some folios are split along fore-edge. Impression: Sharp and clear, from blocks showing little sign of wear. Illustrations: Small sumizuri woodcuts, illustrating scenes and themes from almost every chapter of Tsurezuregusa, occupy the upper quarter of each page. According to the attribution on fol. 50b (quoted with kanki above), they are the work of Namura Jōhaku himself. A fanciful portrait of Kenkō Hōshi 兼好法師 appears on fol. lb of maki 上. Seals of ownership: None.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Namura Jōhaku 苗村丈伯, also known by several gō: Sōdensai 艸田齋, Sunbokushi 寸木子, Sankei 三徑, etc., fl. late-17th century. Imprint: N.p., Genroku 4, 1691. Author statement and kanki on fol. 50b of maki 下 reads: 雒陽處士艸田斎寸木子三径圖讃 ／ 元禄四年 ／ 辛未初春日 ／ 書林. Description: 2 kan, formerly in 2 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. (Maki 上) ff. 64; (maki 下) ff. 50. 26.2 x 18.6 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 23.9 x 17.2 cm. (average). Single-line borders. Thin rule separating illustrations in upper part of page from text below. No fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text, with printed furigana, dakuten and kutōten. 12 lines to page, 20-22 characters to line. Original dark blue front cover of maki 上 only, with original printed title slip. Gedai: Kaisei kashiragaki (tsunogaki) tsurezuregusa eshō 改正頭書 (角書) つれ [踊字 = つれ] 艸繪抄. No naidai. Hashiragaki: Tsurezure jō (ge) つれ [踊字 = つれ] 上 (下) + folio no. Edition: This edition of Genroku 4 (1691) was the only one published in Edo period. Contents: Text of Kenkō's Tsurezuregusa 徒然草, illustrated and annotated for popular reading by Namura Jōhaku.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired by purchase, 4 Dec. 1871.

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 6. Literature - prose 国文-散文 b. Zuihitsu 随筆

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 4, p. 554.