This is a wonderful collection of 7 vintage Japanese Christmas and New Year greeting cards from the early 1960s, including several pieces with correspondence dating to 1962.
The cards were personally sent to an American couple by friends they made while living in Japan. All seven have been written in and several contain lengthy, heartfelt correspondence, making this an especially interesting collection of vintage Japanese ephemera and personal history.
The fronts feature beautiful traditional Japanese imagery, including Mount Fuji, women in traditional Japanese dress, winter scenes and classic Japanese-style portrait artwork. The artwork is beautiful enough that these could also make a wonderful framed wall display, either individually or grouped together.
One card is especially unusual, featuring a woven textile portrait rather than a conventional printed image. Please note that this woven card has a small stain/spot on the surrounding border, visible in the photographs.
One of the other cards retains its original identification on the reverse and is marked Fukuda Card Co., Made in Japan, No. 18. It identifies the artwork as “Beauty” by Takushin Kwaigetsudo. This is the only card in the collection on which I found a visible card-company marking.
Several cards contain substantial handwritten correspondence. One letter is dated November 18, 1962 in Totsuka-ku, Yokohama and discusses the writer’s university studies and life in Japan. Another is addressed to Capt. & Mrs. Jones and thanks them for their kindness while the sender worked for them, discusses her recovery from an operation and says that everyone still misses them. Another card dated December 25, 1962 includes the touching message, “Please visit Japan again some day.”
These have remained together as a collection for more than 60 years and offer a wonderful glimpse into the friendships formed between an American family and their Japanese friends during the early 1960s.
Condition: Vintage pre-owned condition with age-related toning, occasional spotting and light wear. The woven card has a small stain on the border. All cards contain original handwriting. No envelopes are included. Please review the photographs carefully as they are an important part of the description.
Sold together as a lot of 7.
Ships from a non-smoking home.
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