This official Japanese postal card from the late Meiji period features a preprinted 1½ sen value printed in a soft blue hue, framed by an intricate border design with the chrysanthemum crest of the imperial household at the upper left. The 1½ sen rate was a transitional domestic postcard tariff used briefly in the 1880s before rate standardization. The card was produced using high-quality typographic methods on ungummed, unperforated cardstock and adheres to strict format guidelines printed along the frame, with inscriptions specifying usage rules such as "only the recipient’s name and residence may be written on this side." The cancellation on the stamp and lower corner indicates dispatch from 松江 (Matsue), capital of Shimane Prefecture (島根縣), using a standard circular hankō-type postmark. The card is addressed to a regional association (協会), and the calligraphy is composed in flowing vertical strokes, executed with brush and ink in a formal semi-cursive style. The message on the reverse is written in highly stylized cursive script (草書), suggesting the writer was well-educated, and reflecting the aesthetic value placed on handwriting in Japanese correspondence. The card is representative of Meiji-era reforms, combining imperial symbolism with practical function and cultural grace. The presence of both the chrysanthemum emblem and legible prefectural designation makes this a highly collectible piece of postal and regional history.
Estimate "$90 – 140"