**Originally Listed At $300** 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 a few hundred 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 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. Size: 14.6" L x 5.25" W (37.1 cm x 13.3 cm) Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #145272品相报告: Fraying and tearing to covers and pages. Fading to back cover ink and inactive insect holes. Some pages are sticking together. Discoloration, staining, but writing is intact well preserved. Tassel and binding are intact.