Kojitsu Kenp (1 results)

Handmade manuscript book with black and white hand-drawn illustrations, 28 x 18cm, 25 double-folded leaves, four hole string binding, title label upper cover. A little marginal browning and soiling consistent with use, upper corners bumped, lacks decorative paper over lower wrapper. This manuscript is a copy of Kojitsu kenp? (????), a work concerned with menu composition and the presentation of food for celebratory occasions tied to seasonal festivals, including the New Year in January and the Girls? Festival in March. The text is organised into seven sections comprising a total of one hundred items.This copy was most likely produced in the late Edo period. A note on the final page states that the contents are secret and should not be transmitted to outsiders, suggesting its use within a restricted or specialist context. Several hand-drawn illustrations are included with the text, showing in detail the arrangement and presentation of dishes and serving ware appropriate to these ceremonial occasions.