Illustrated books from the Duretcollection at the Prints Departementof the French National Library
テオドール・デュレの絵本コレクション(フランス国立図書館・版画部門)

I – The Duret collection
1) Brief history of the japanese collections at the PrintsDepartment
2) A few noticeable items
3) Current state of description of the collection

II – Cataloguing illustrated books
1) From Duret’s hand to the online catalog
2) Helpful tools
3) Japanese data, european norms

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library2

I – The Duret collection
history

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library3

Théodore Duret(1838-1927)
art critic
1st travel to Japan
in 1871

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library4

581 illustrated books

Donated in 1899 :the most prominent
japanese books collectionof the time in a Europeanlibrary

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library5Moveable biding for preservation and upright storage (1901)

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library6I – The Duret collectionA few noticeable items

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library7

3 versions of the Ise Monogatari printed in 1608
2 vol. (26,3 x 19,4 cm )Woodblock print – fukkoku-bon (reprint)(RESERVE 4-DD-4 & RESERVE 4-DD-5)

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library8Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library9Ehon Chiyomigusa / Nishikawa Sukenobu (1755)繪本千代見艸 / 西川祐信
3 vol. (20 x 28 cm )Woodblock print – black ink with handpaintedcolors(RESERVE 4-DD-144-146)

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library

10Ehon Chiyomigusa / Nishikawa Sukenobu (1755)繪本千代見艸 / 西川祐信

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library11

Shiohi no tsuto / Akera Kankō [hen] ; Kitagawa Utamaroga (ca. 1789)
潮干のつ/ あけら菅江 [編] ; 喜多川歌麿画
1 vol. (20 x 27 cm, orihon)
Woodblock print– color ink with handpainted additions of goldand nacre(RESERVE 4-DD-238-4)« one of the most beautiful books everpublished » (Roger Keyes)
Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library12

Shiohi no tsuto / Akera Kankō [hen] ; Kitagawa Utamaro ga (ca. 1789
潮干のつ/ あけら菅江 [編] ; 喜多川歌麿画

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library13

Shiohi no tsuto / Akera Kankō [hen] ; Kitagawa Utamaro ga (ca. 1789
潮干のつ/ あけら菅江 [編] ; 喜多川歌麿画

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library14

« homemade hand-coloured » books…
Ehon chiyo no matsu / Suzuki Harunobu (1767)
絵本千代の松 / 鈴木春信
3 vol. (16 x 23 cm )Woodblock print – black ink and handpaintedcolours(RESERVE 4-DD-176-178)

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library15« homemade hand-coloured » books…
Ehon niwatazumi / Ryūkōsai (1790)
画本行潦 / 流光斎

2 vol. (16 x 22 cm )Woodblock print – black ink andhandpainted colours(RESERVE 4-DD-230-232)

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library16With seals of previous owner(s)Elephant
seal fromIshizuka
Hokaishi

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library17

I – The Duret collection
Current state of description

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library18

Livres et albums illustrés duJapon, réunis et catalogués
par Théodore Duret (1900)

Catalogue made by Durethimself, helped by« K. Kawada »From DD-1 to DD-1392
Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library19All records are online, but…

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library

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How to make it accessible ?

- No specialist- 2 days/month since 2018

➔ 305 done, 276 to go !

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library21

II – Cataloging the collection
the many steps of comparing,identifying, & correcting data

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library22

DD-446

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library23

Paper catalog(1900) → Online catalog (2022)

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library24

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library25

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library26

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library27

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library28

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library29

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library30

Comparing & identifying
Catalogues and digital libraries :Union catalog of Japanese Early books (NIJL)
Japan Search
NDL digital collection+ various tools :Inventory of publishers’ seals
Ukiyoe signatures database
Ukiyo-e.org
Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library

31Comparing & identifying

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library32

Comparing & identifying
Buke hyakunin isshu / Hishikawa Moronobuga (1672)
武家百人一首 / 菱川師宣画
DD-62

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library33

Comparing & identifying

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library

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Cataloguing Japanese old documents withFrench/European norms : limits and questions
Data format :- a (printed) bookVS
- a print (in theshape of a book) ?

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library

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Cataloguing Japanese old documents with
French/European norms : limits and questions
Authorities :- European norms forpseudonyms
VS- The many names of aJapanese artist

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library36

Cataloguing Japanese old documents with
French/European norms : limits and questions
Poorly suitedindexing categories ?
Literary scenes

Custom & manners
scenesetc

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library37

… & a vast ocean of questions…
- Statement of responsability :撰 = author? Editor ? Similar to選 ?
- Old kanjis… or not→ 画 / 畵 / 畫…

-Editors : on the relevance ofmentionning them all- etc
Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library38

Cataloguing Japanese old documents with
French/European norms :What we could do to improve it
Introduce native classifiers :- Thematic descriptors : encyclopedias, manuals, poetic anthologies,
epic stories, novels…
- Material descriptors : saga-bon, tanrokubon, kibyôshi…
Call for research : open perspectives in book history that go beyond
european-centered criteria

Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library39

Thank you for your attention
Ryakugashiki / Keisai Kitao Masayoshi(1795)

略画式 / 蕙斎北尾政美
DD-306

Coralie.castel@bnf.fr
Illustrated books from the Duret collection at the Prints Departement of the French National Library40