The Jade Chapters is a comprehensive character dictionary representative of ancient China. It consists of 30 volumes and was compiled during the Six Dynasties period in China.
It employs a system of radical classification, providing pronunciation and meaning annotations for each character, with annotations rich in quotations from earlier writings.
Six Dynasties Period
A Chinese historical period that spanned from 222 to 589, encompassing the Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, and Southern dynasties of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen.
This work forms a foundation of learning, and its influence on Japanese scholarship and arts is immeasurable.
It is believed to have been transcribed in China during the 7th to 8th centuries. The manuscript quickly disappeared in China and survives only in Japan. Seven volumes remain, mostly in fragments; only Volumes 22 and 27 are entirely intact.
The Kosanji collection corresponds to the first half of Volume 27 and, combined with the latter half held by Ishiyamadera, also designated a National Treasure, forms an entire volume.
manuscript
Refers here to books or documents that have been manually reproduced.
Ishiyamadera
The temple is a major temple of the Toji Shingon sect located at Ishiyamadera in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture.
