Fonds SC74 - Japanese Chanting Lyrics Booklets

1 wooden box and 21 booklets

Source of acquisition is unknown.

A collection of palm-size printed chanting lyrics booklets, utaibon (謡本), of the Hosho school (宝生流) of Noh, a form of traditional Japanese theatre. The booklets, in thread binding with yellow paper covers, are divided into two sets, including 10 booklets for uchi-hyakuban (内百番), referring to common chants, and 11 booklets soto-hyakuban (外百拾番), referring to uncommon chants. A title label pasted onto the cover of each booklet indicates the chants included in it. There are lyrics for 220 chants in total. Each booklet measures 8.8 cm (w) x 12 cm (h).

Originally housed in a wooden box with two compartments. Handwritten RAS label on the lid reads: ‘Japanese Print. 2 collections of Po[sins]. Taka Sago and Ho Show Kawa’ and on the underside of the lid is a printed list of all chants included in the booklets. The wooden box is probably made specifically to house the booklets after they came into the possession of the Library as the divider in the box is annotated ‘division’.

Open. Please contact the Archivist.

• japonais

With minor pest damage.

More information about utaibon can be found here: https://noh.stanford.edu/music/notation

More information about utaibon can be found here: https://noh.stanford.edu/music/notation