An elegant Meiji-era Japanese literary book titled Gofuku Yakumo Nishiki Komachi Tōsei Bidan (呉服八雲 錦小町當世美談), published in 1899 (Meiji 32) by Kansei Seishō (観世清齋) in Kyoto.
Beautifully handwritten in kuzushiji-style with red editorial notes, this work tells a refined tale of fashion, love, and daily life among kimono merchants and townspeople in Kyoto during Japan’s transition to modernity.
The text embodies the aesthetic spirit of the Meiji period, where Edo traditions and Western influences coexisted. The story offers glimpses into the culture of Gofuku (kimono cloth trade) and the refined manners of Kyoto’s merchant class.
A rare example of late-Meiji literature and calligraphic artistry, preserved with delicate washi paper and a fine patterned cover evoking silk textile grain.
