著者

ミギー ディラン

出版者

人間文化研究機構 国文学研究資料館

雑誌

第41回 国際日本文学研究集会会議録 = PROCEEDINGS OF THE 41st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JAPANESE LITERATURE (ISSN:03877280)

巻号頁・発行日

no.41, pp.68-54, 2018-03-28

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This paper will examine over 34 different varieties of protective covers used by the Daisō lending library throughout the nineteenth century, categorizing them according to pattern. When cross-referenced with the publication dates of the book on which they appear, these covers yield a consistent data set for dating the acquisition of individual books—something that has not been possible previously due to the absence of detailed house records.The Daisō lending library operated for nearly 150 years in castle town of Nagoya and at its height was regarded as the largest commercial lender in all of Japan. While there has been extensive research on the history of the firm, as well as a full bibliographic survey of its extant books, to date very little is known about its day-to-day operations, given the dearth of house records about its acquisition and lending practices. Accordingly, this paper will seek to model a new approach for dating the acquisition of Daisō books, based on a cross-referencing of cover varieties with publication data.The practice of fitting heavily circulating gōkan with protective covers appears to have begun at the Daisō around Bunka 8 (1811), when the first proprietor, Ōnoya Sōhachi I (Tojirō) passed away and was succeeded by his son Seijirō. This practice continued for at least fifty years, with evidence of newly fitted covers dating to Bunkyū 1 (1861) and later. The covers themselves appear to have been intended to minimize wear and tear on the lavishly illustrated gōkan, whose brilliant nishiki-e covers were an object of interest for lending library readers. The covers featured a different design each year, beginning with relatively simple brushstroke designs in the 1810s and 1820s, and progressively moving to more complex abstract (stripes, lattices, and swastikas) and figural patters (seashells, animals, etc.).This paper proposes that the Daisō alternated varieties of protective covers from year to year and fitted them on books that circulated heavily soon after acquisition. By cross-referencing the annual varieties of covers with the publication dates of the books on which they appear, it is possible to estimate the year of acquisition. At the same time, this material enables us to create windows for estimating the production of manuscript books and paratextual materials like ads for Daisō brand medicines and cosmetics.