Beautiful Thick Antique Japanese Merchant Ledger with Rope Binding bisque Unknown maker

Unknown maker

I find this loon (I believe it is) tremendously satisfying

Don't miss the view from the bottom either--a star of sorts painted in yellow/orange

my favorite thing

with sculpted then hand-painted features

Beautiful Thick Antique Japanese Merchant Ledger with Rope Binding bisque Unknown makerThis is a an old Japanase merchant ledger book that I believe would be known as a daifuku cho, with sumi ink characters on the front and back covers, handwritten tabs dividing sections, and many of its many many pages filled with ink writing. It is bound at the top with rope; I believe the binding would also be used for hanging it, as I understand it such that it and other ledgers could be quickly gathered up if there was a fire or emergency. Later