Shikienkyuten (史記延久点)

Shikienkyuten is kuntenbon (a book with guiding marks for rendering Chinese into Japanese) of "Shiki" (Records of the Grand Historian), a Chinese history book written by Sima Qian in the era of Former Han in China, and it was in the form of Kansubon (book in scroll style) transcribed by OE no Iekuni by adding kunten (marks and symbols beside lines of Chinese text to indicate how the text is to be read in Japanese) in 1073 during the Heian period of Japan.

It is estimated that it originally consisted of 130 volumes. However, the existing volumes are only three: the ninth volume of Ryoko hongi of Mori Museum, the tenth volume of Kobun hongi of Tohoku University Library and the eleventh volume of Kokei hongi of Daitokyu memorial library. All of these are designated as national treasures.

It was the oldest written copy of "Shiki" with the date of the transcription clearly marked as well as the oldest Kuntenbon. It is considered that OE no Iekuni, who was a great-great-grandson of OE no Asatsuna, was one of the successors of Kidendo (the study of the histories), which was kagaku (hereditary learning) of the Oe clan. The original text was "Shikishikkai" written by HAI in of Nan-Dynasty (Southern Dynasty) (China) in the era of Song. In the transcription, the Kunten was added in red ink and bokuten (inking), and wokototen (reading guide marks) were in the form of kokidenten (a style of kunten). It is the one and only existing Kanseki kuntenbon (kuntenbon of texts originated in China) related to the Oe clan, which was Soke (the head family or house) of Kidendo. It also provides a clue as to what the Kidendo of the Oe clan was really like at that time.

[Original Japanese]