Nippon eitaigura 日本永代藏 [日本永代蔵]

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

  • Reference
    • GB 59 16107.c.43
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1688
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 6 volumes Condition: Good, apart from some soiled folios, especially at beginning of each maki. No worm damage, but each folio has been strengthened by re-backing with thin paper. Impression: Slightly atozuri, but reasonably sharp and clear. Illustrations: A total of 31 sumizuri illustrations, 21 double-page and 10 single-page, distributed as follows: (maki 1) 3 double, 2 single; (2) 3 double, 2 single; (3) 5 double; (4) 4 double, 2 single; (5) 3 double, 2 single; (6) 3 double, 2 single. Also 5 vignettes in upper part of each mokuroku folio. Artist not named, but illustrations are in the style of Yoshida Hanbē 吉田半兵衞 and are generally attributed to him. Seals of ownership: Oblong red seal, Sekimaru (?) bunko 積丸文庫, on first and last pages of maki 2.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Daifuku shin chōjakyō 大福新長者教 [大福新長者教]. Author/compiler: Ihara Saikaku 井原西鶴, 1642-1693. Imprint: Kyōto, Kanaya Chōbē; Edo, Nishimura Baifūken; Ōsaka, Morita Shōtarō, Jōkyō 5, 1688. Kanki on fol. 18b of maki 6 reads: 貞享五戊辰年正月吉日 ／ 京 ／ 書林 ／ 二条通麩屋町 ／ 金屋長兵衛 ／ 江戸 ／ 神田新革屋町 ／ 西村梅風軒 ／ 大坂 書肆 ／ 北御堂前 ／ 森田庄太郎刊板. Description: 6 kan, 6 satsu, in a box. (Maki 1) ff. 19; (2) ff. 20; (3) ff. 19; (4) ff. 20; (5) ff. 20; (6) ff. 18. 249 x 179 mm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame 213 x 160 mm (average). Single-line borders. Fishtail design on hanshin. Hiragana-majiri text with printed furigana. 13 lines to page, 22-25 characters to line. Original blackish-grey covers, with original printed title slip on satsu 1 only. Gedai: 日本永代藏 一 ／ 大福新長者教. Title from naidai at head of mokuroku in each maki. Naidai at head of honmon in maki 1: Honchō eitaigura 本朝永代藏ほんてうゑいたいぐら. Hashiragaki: Daifuku shin chōjakyō 大福新長者教 + maki no. + folio no. Edition: First edition, characterised by the 3 publishers named in the kanki. Followed by an edition with similarly dated kanki, but omitting the Edo publisher Nishimura Baifūken 西村梅風軒, printed from the same blocks. Also an edition dated Jōkyō 5 (1688), 5th month, published by Nishizawa Tahē 西澤太兵衞, of which Tenri holds the only surviving copy. A further edition was published in Bunsei 7 (1824) under a new title, Daifuku shin chōja kagami 大福新長者鑑. Contents: Ukiyo-zōshi novel comprising 30 stories caricaturing the successes and failures of urban merchants of the chōnin 町人 class.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Richard Lane, 19 Nov. 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 g. Ukiyo-zōshi 浮世草子

Bibliography

Nihon koten bungaku daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典, vol. 4, p. 611; Saikaku 西鶴, pp. 127-32, pl. 329-38; Teihon Saikaku zenshū 定本西鶴全集, vol. 7, pp. 17-175.