Humorous Tales from Chinese History

US$2,865.00

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Kokkei Retsuden ["Biographies of Jesters"]

[Sima, Qian (original text by)]; Hamamura, Zōroku II [owned and/or copied by].

[Hyōgo?], Kansei 12 [1800]. Manuscript, on woodblockprinted stationery.

A kanbun rendering in manuscript of Guji Liezhuan ("The Biographies of Jesters"), volume 126 of the Shiji ("Records of the Grand Historian") by Sima Qian (c. 145-86 BCE). This volume of the historical Chinese classic recounts amusing stories about entertainers, quick wits, and court jesters like Chunyu Kun, You Meng, You Zhan, Dongfang Shuo, and Guo Sheren, often showing how they were able to admonish those in positions of power and get away scot-free. Although sets of the Shiji were published in Japan prior to the production of this manuscript, no other printed books or manuscripts with the same outer or inner title, or which seem to record solely the Biographies of Pranksters, dated to before Kansei 12 have been located in OCLC or major Japanese library databases. One printed work titled Haikai Kongenshū (1797) includes a section called Shiki Kokkeiden Tsūzokukai, but is in Japanese, not kanbun. The owner or transcriber of the text, Hamamura Zōroku II (1774-1821), was a seal cutter, perhaps explaining the extravagant seal impression on the first page of text. Zōroku appears to have added a spoof colophon to the text, using what may have been the real names of stonemasons, carvers, seal cutters, and others in Zōroku's profession in the place of publishers and distributors. Possibly an important stepping stone in the reception and diffusion of classical Chinese humour in Japan.

One volume, complete, on double leaves, fukurotoji style. Original wrappers, with a few marks, small losses, wormholes, and a sticker removal. Title in manuscript to upper wrapper. Occasional internal marks, wormholes, and ex-ownership stamps. A few manuscript annotations and corrections. [17] leaves. 23.4 x 16.5 cm. Text in kanbun (classical Chinese with Japanese kunten reading marks).

Humorous Tales from Chinese History
Price: $2,865.00 (USD)