A rare Edo-period Japanese reference manual, 古今知見録 (Kokon Chikenroku) is a beautifully illustrated handbook dedicated to classical ceramics, utensils, antiquities, and scholarly objects. Produced using traditional woodblock printing, this compact manual served as a guide for collectors, artisans, and merchants during Japan's late Edo era.
Inside, the book includes finely printed diagrams of bowls, tea cups, incense burners, kettles, ritual vessels, decorative motifs, mythical animals, and various forms used in the arts of tea, incense, and classical craftsmanship. Each illustration is accompanied by detailed commentary written in classical Japanese, explaining origins, stylistic traits, symbolic meanings, and recommended identifications.
The opening pages feature an elegant dragon-framed title page, a design often reserved for high-quality artisan manuals. Throughout the book, the text is carefully arranged in vertical columns, with many sections bordered to emphasize classification and typology.
Historical Importance
Kokon Chikenroku (“Record of Things Known from Past to Present”) belongs to the genre of Edo monographs and encyclopedic handbooks used by antique dealers, scholars, and craftsmen. Manuals like this were practical tools for recognizing authentic objects, kiln styles, decorative patterns, and cultural symbolism.
Surviving complete examples are increasingly rare, as these books were meant to be used, handled, and referenced daily.
Content Overview
- Illustrations of tea bowls, incense cups, lids, water jars, and ceremonial vessels
- Diagrams of metalwork forms, including kettles and incense burners
- Drawings of mythical animals (shishi, kirin), auspicious motifs, and decorative patterns
- Explanations of kilns, regional styles, shapes, materials, and techniques
- Classical text discussing antique object identification and evaluation
Why This Book Is Collectible
✔ Authentic Edo-period woodblock printing
✔ Illustrated reference book — highly desirable and uncommon
✔ Important material for collectors of ceramics, tea culture, metalwork, and Japanese antiquities
✔ Increasingly scarce due to age, usage, and fragile materials
This is an exceptional addition for collectors of Japanese antique books, tea ceremony culture, Edo prints, or historical material culture.
