JAPAN; CLOTHING.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Shozoku shokushikimoku ("A Catalogue of Courtly Attire"). An attractive manuscript copy of this rare treatise on Heian-period ceremonial attire. Only one other copy is known, held by the National Archives of Japan. The copyist, Ishimoto Shuen, was an artist-historian whose research focused on ancient clothing. She was named as one of the most accomplished artists in Tokyo by a 1916 broadside.Shozoku shokushikimoku (otherwise known as Shozoku imon, or in the case of the other known copy, Kinpi shozoku imon) introduces over 40 examples of different types of clothing worn throughout Japanese history, and manuscript captions explain their features. The clothing ranges from kanmuri headwear to ceremonial leather belts (sekitai), swords, fans, and ritual omigoromo robes. Different examples of each are given depending on the season and the rank of the person who was permitted to wear certain colours and designs. According to the colophon, the text was first found in the collection of Ise Sadatake (1718-1784), a samurai and notable historian of court etiquette. A copy was made in 1772, then another in 1856, and finally this example in 1897. Ishimoto Shuen was the protégé of the famous academic and Shinto scholar Kosugi Sugimura. The pair produced a number of books and hanging scrolls depicting Heian-period and earlier court dress, especially in the late 1890s. Ishimoto's ownership signatures and seal are on the first and final pages. The illustrations in this copy are in a slightly d

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