Ippai kigen 一盃綺言

FSC-GR-780.746

Commentary by Satō Satoru

Posted March 20, 2018
Original unedited text in Japanese follows

The author of this 1813 (Bunka 10) book, Shikitei Sanba (1776–1822), excelled in the genre of popular comic literature known as kokkeibon (滑稽本) and is well known for such works as Ukiyoburo 浮世風呂 (The bathhouse of the floating world; 1809–1813). He also wrote a number of kusazōshi (草双紙) and yomihon (読本). The title Ippai kigen (一盃綺言) is a wordplay on the homophonic expression written with the characters 一杯機嫌 that connotes a state of inebriated contentment. Like the picture-books Namayoi katagi (酩酊気質), also from 1813 and illustrated by Utagawa Toyokuni, and Tōsei nanakuse jōgo (当世七癖上戸) from 1810 (Bunka 7) and illustrated by Utagawa Kunisada, this title belongs to the lineage of “parlor entertainment” that depict the various states of drunkenness.

The book portrays the following eight types, all focusing on the act of drinking sake: “the drunk who delights in hearing someone being bad-mouthed”; “the drunk who only grumbles when under the influence”; “the drunk who has difficulty picking up his sake cup”; “the drunk who becomes increasingly aggressive as he drinks”; “the drunk who repeats the same thing over and over”; “the drunk who continuously causing trouble for his partner”; “the self-amused drunk”; and “the drunk who keeps arguing over futile things.” There are twelve pictures in total, including the inside front cover that shows a Chinese man drinking sake under a pine tree and a frontispiece illustration of Three Drinkers (Sannin namayoi 三人生酔). Each image skillfully captures the state of inebriation. The number of illustrations for this type of work is comparatively high, leading to the suggestion that this volume is a kokkeibon with hybrid kusazōshi-like characteristics.

The Pulverer copy is missing the original title slip, which would have had the short text above the title (tsunogaki) reading meishu 銘酒 (“fine sake”). In the first printing of this book, the name and address of the publisher Ishiwatari Risuke (石渡利助) appears on the inside front cover; this is missing in the Pulverer copy. The inside back cover of the first printing lists the publication information, including the names of Ishiwatari Risuke and the other connected publishers Nishimura Heibē (西村平兵衛) and Tsumura Saburōbē (津村三郎兵衛). The Pulverer copy is perhaps the same as the later printing in the collection of Waseda University, Tokyo, and the Pulverer copy is indeed a later printing. The colophon in this title announces a sequel entitled Nihai kigen (二盃綺言), but it appears that this was never published.

書名　（例の酒癖）一盃綺言
執筆者　佐藤悟

作者の式亭三馬は滑稽本の名手で、滑稽本としては『浮世風呂』などの作品で知られ、その他、多くの草双紙の作品や読本の作品を残している。書名の「一盃綺言」とは、酒に酔って気持ちよさそうにしていることをいう一杯機嫌という言葉をもじったものである。文化十年(1813) に刊行された本作は、文化三年刊『酩酊気質』（歌川豊国画）、文化七年刊『当世七癖上戸』（歌川国貞画）同様に酔態の形態模写をする座敷芸の系譜にあるものである。内容は「悪口を聞いて嬉しがらるゝ酒癖」「酔たる上にて愚痴ばかりいふ酒癖」「盃の取り遣りの難しき酒癖」「段々気の強くなる酒癖」「同じことをくどくいふ酒癖」「連れに困らする酒癖」「一人面白がる酒癖」「無益の事を争ふ酒癖」の八種からなる。挿絵は酒を呑む様子ばかりを描き、見返しの松の木の下で酒を呑む中国人、口絵の「三人生酔」、酒宴図など12図を数え、こちらも巧みに酔態をとらえている。挿絵の比重が大きく、草双紙との中間的な性格を持った滑稽本と言える。

本書では欠落している題簽の角書には「銘酒」とある。初版本では見返しの右下に板元の石渡利助の住所と名前が記されていたが、プルヴェラー本では削られている。初版本は裏表紙の見返しの刊記に石渡利助と関連書肆として西村平兵衛・津村三郎兵衛の名が記される。早稲田大学蔵後摺本と同板か。本書の続編として『二盃綺言』が予告されているが、刊行には至らなかった。

Selected readings:
Honda Yasuo 本田康雄, Shikitei Sanba no bungei 『式亭三馬の文芸』(Tokyo: Kasama Shoin, 1973).

Copies in other collections:
Keiō University, Tokyo
National Diet Library, Tokyo
Tōhoku University, Sendai
Waseda University Library, Tokyo