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Hi all,

I just took some photos of what appear to be titles for the different sections of the book (they are in either seal script or a much neater regular hand, and the characters are much larger than those in the main body of the text). There is also a passage written entirely in seal script at the end of the book.
In an interesting turn of events, while I was taking the photos, a small envelope fell out of the book which contained a sealed letter on rice paper (it seems to be relatively modern) - I've attached a photo of it to the post.

If anyone is able to read the titles or even the lengthier final passage and translate what they say I would be very grateful; I'm terrible at reading old-style Kanji and have zero knowledge about seal script.

Thanks,
Thomas.

Ah, well I at least managed to get one on my own!
I'm pretty sure the 3rd line down in the photo (in regular script) reads 將進酒 , the title of Li Bai's poem 'Bring in the Wine'
If I'm wrong about this, though, please do feel free to correct me!

Thanks,
Thomas.

The first several titles mention poems by Li Bai/Bo, including
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E6%8A%8A%E9%85%92%E5%95%8F%E6%9C%88

and

https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E5%B0%87%E9%80%B2%E9%85%92_(%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BD)

The small slip of folded paper gives the names of seven people who collaborating on writing the text.

Thanks Rat!

Thanks to you I now know the entire contents of the book (bar one poem which I got the title of but not the text of)

Poem 1) 把酒問月; https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E6%8A%8A%E9%85%92%E5%95%8F%E6%9C%88

Poem 2) 桃原圖 (couldn't find a text to match this one)

Poem 3) 將進酒; https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E5%B0%87%E9%80%B2%E9%85%92_(%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BD)

Poem 4) 西亭春望; https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E8%A5%BF%E4%BA%AD%E6%98%A5%E6%9C%9B

It's a stretch, but are you able to read the names of the people on the slip of the paper at all? I.Nagy already read a seal for me as belonging to 平林静斎, but it doesn't appear like that name appears on the slip of paper at all... Do you think the paper alludes to the authors as opposed to the calligrapher(s)?

Many thanks,
Thomas.

The names and titles on the slip of paper,
文晁　- Bunchō　-　Tani Bunchō　谷文晁　1763-1847
- 松　-　Pine
武清　-　Busei - Kita Busei 喜多武清　1776-1857
-　牡丹　-　Peony
天民　- Shimizu Tenmin 清水天民　miｄ-Edo period
- 赤口葵　?
五山　-　Gozan - Kikuchi Gozan 菊池五山 1769-1849 - 梅　葅花　-　Plum、Chives ?
圭齋　- Keisai - Ōnishi Keisai 1773-1829 -
梅　- Plum
武一　-　Buichi - Kita Buichi 喜多武一　mid-Edo period, son of Kita Busei
景山　-　Keizan - Koshiba Keizan 小柴景山　mid-Edo period painter from Osaka

七名合作各　‐Joint work of seven (painters)
古筆　-　Kohitsu (Old brush) - inscription and seal -

With regards,
I.Nagy

Thanks I.Nagy!
In that case, I think the slip I found in the book must be related to some other work that I'm not in posession of - it was in a weird place in the book so I can easily see whoever inspected the book before selling it to me having overlooked it. I myself completely missed it the first time I filed through...
It would be cool to know where the work that the paper's eluding to has wound up; with all those famous names collaborating it must be fairly important. However, I didn't find any records for a collaborative work between those artists when I googled.

Thanks,
Thomas.

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