ISE, Sadatake.

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Hoketsuki ("Wrapping and Tying"). First edition of this treatise of secret knowledge on the art of wrapping with paper (orikata). Folding decorative paper into complex shapes without the need for glue was an essential skill for the cultural elite since the Kamakura period. With the price of paper dropping in the 19th century, it then became a popular pastime among the common people.Orikata techniques were passed down through secret manuscripts among individual samurai families for most of Japanese history. In 1764 Ise Sadatake (1718-1784), a notable historian and advisor to the shogun on matters of court etiquette, released Hoketsuki as a manuscript. This was the first time these techniques were made public. The work was printed almost 80 years later.The first volume focuses on techniques for wrapping anything from bows and arrows to flowers, gifts, sake bottles, and fans. Volume II shifts to tying with decorative cord, showing dozens of knots appropriate for a wide range of boxes, scabbards, or even hairpieces.

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