This Japanese postal card from the 1870s features a preprinted 1 sen denomination in carmine red, with an ornate circular design enclosing the imperial chrysanthemum crest, used as the official symbol of the Japanese government and monarchy. The intricate border framing the stamp and the vertical text panels around the card reflect the early Meiji period’s focus on formality and modernization through Western-style postal infrastructure. The card is printed typographically on sturdy, ungummed and unperforated cardstock, and includes vertical instructions indicating usage limitations, such as name and address formatting rules. The address side shows two distinct postmarks in black ink: one in the upper left corner and one clearly reading 徳島 (Tokushima), confirming that the card was processed in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Additionally, a rectangular red-framed seal is present, adding a formal or possibly administrative element to the correspondence. The recipient is addressed in elegant vertical brush script, typical of formal Japanese communication. The reverse is densely filled with a handwritten message in a semi-cursive to fully cursive (草書) script, demonstrating an advanced calligraphic style, which along with the fine brush pressure and gestural flow, suggests the sender was well-versed in classical writing traditions. As a postal artifact, this card captures the intersection of bureaucratic reform and cultural continuity in Meiji Japan, while the legible place-name cancellation and rich calligraphic content elevate it as an object of both philatelic and aesthetic interest.
Estimate "$90 – 150"