Title: Yoshimizu Sōjō Jichinkashō-hitsu Ise Monogatari (The Tale of Ise, written by Monk Yoshimizu and Monk Jichin), Circa 1200-1225. An Extraordinarily Rare Kamakura Edition, with an Edo Period Appraisal Stamp and Note Attributing the Copy to the Early Kamakura Poet. The Oldest Extant Copy Outside of Japan
Author: Calligraphy Attributed to Grand Monk Jien
Condition: Good
An extraordinarily rare, Kamakura Period, early 13th century manuscript edition of the Ise Monogatari, more famously known as the Tales of Ise.
A Japanese uta monogatari, or collection of waka poems and associated narratives, the work was initially produced in the Heian period, with the authorship still being unknown, though some have speculated that the poet and courtier Ariwara no Narihira, also suggested to be the central character, was the original author. The poet and court noble Ki no Tsurayuki has also been suggested as the author.
Collected into 125 sections and 209 poems total, the overall narrative rarely attempts to link each section, though there is typically some sort of described scene for each poem. There is a rough chronology of the central character, beginning as a young man coming of age in the first section, and after numerous experiences and travels, concluding as a gravely ill man who will perish. There is no proper biography, nor even a structured plot, differing from most Western approaches in early literature, or even the Genji Monogatari, for that matter.
The manuscript is stored in a wooden box for preservation, the box itself being particularly early, with several inscriptions including the title itself, being 吉水僧正 慈鎮和尚 筆 伊勢物語.
Enclosed with the manuscript is an appraisal seal and report, attributing the manuscript to Grand Monk Jien (1155-1225) or Jichen, a Japanese poet, historian, and Buddhist monk of the Late Heian and Early Kamakura Periods. As a poet, he was named one of the Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry and was the second-best represented poet in the Shin Kokin Wakashū. There is also another note enclosed providing a brief biography of Jien.
The producer of the appraisal note and stamp is the Edo Period calligraphy expert Okura Kosai, who served the Kishu Tokugawa family and was awarded the rank of Hokkyo. He died in 1863 but not before having appraised a wide selection of calligraphy, paintings, and other hand produced manuscripts and artworks.
Currently the oldest known manuscript copy is 伊勢物語（伝民部卿局筆本）, listed on the Bunka database. However, that copy is not dated, only listed as Kamakura Period, and has a stated attribution to Tamibukyo no Tsubone, daughter of Fujiwara no Teika. The record adds it was likely a contemporary copyist, and not Tsubone, however.
As for other 13th century copies, Bunka does record another copy with a stated attribution to Jien, but this copy is not listed as having any early certification or appraisal done upon it.
If the attribution to Jien is indeed correct, this could place its production as anywhere from 1200-1225, which would certainly make it the oldest known copy in any institutional holdings outside of Japan. However, while the appraisal seal and report do support the legitimacy of the attribution, and the calligraphy matches the Monk’s style, there is always the chance that this manuscript was simply produced in the Style of Jien. But it should be noted, as per Bunka and Kokusho, that even surviving manuscripts In the Style of Jien are typically datable to the mid 13th century. Regardless, as a 13th century example, this manuscript is a remarkably rare survivor.
It should be noted that no copy earlier than 1583 has been sold at any North American or European auctions, as per RBH and Invaluable.
One manuscript in quarto (27.7 x 18.5), 73 leaves
This manuscript is in good shape, with rubbing, wear, and worming to the binding. The text block and covers are somewhat shaken but still holding as one. There is some worming throughout, occasionally touching or affecting letters, and the first and last leaves have been restored at some point.