18th C. Japanese Edo Paper & Ink Ledger Book

East Asia, Japan, Edo period, ca. 18th century CE. A paper and ink ledger book known as a daifuku-cho, with a braided hemp tassel intended for merchant use. The ledger is constructed with dozens of long rectangular pages that are bound at the top with cotton threads. The tassel acts as a suspension loop and is tied to the binding threads. When a ledger was completed the tassel could then be looped on a rope with other ledgers that could be quickly gathered up if there was a fire or emergency. Each page has columns of writing in black ink and red stamps. Usually the bold characters on the front contained the words "daifuku cho" which translates to "good fortune;" a phrase that would hopefully create prosperous business transactions within the ledger. An interesting piece of meticulous record keeping! Size: 5.25" L x 1" W x 14.675" H (13.3 cm x 2.5 cm x 37.3 cm)

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California Collection

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#145270
Condition Report: Creasing, tearing, perforations to pages and cover. Fading of cover characters. Discoloration and staining as expected with age. Hemp and cotton threads are tightly bound to pages.