Item Story & Historical Context
To celebrate New Year’s Day in 1932 (Showa Year 7 / Year of the Water Monkey/Rooster transition cycle), this charming art postcard captures the joyful warmth of holiday postal traditions through a playful, anthropomorphic lens.
The front illustration depicts a curious Japanese snow monkey (Nihonzaru) sitting above a traditional wooden offering stand (sanbō), enthusiastically sorting through a scattered pile of New Year greeting postcards (nengajō). Holding cards inscribed with classic seasonal greetings like “Happy New Year” (謹賀新年 / 賀正), the monkey’s expressive pink face and soft, textured fur bring a delightful touch of humor and personality to classical holiday customs. The upper margin dates the artwork to “New Year’s Day, Showa 7.”
The reverse showcases clean, highly disciplined traditional black brush calligraphy addressed from Tondabayashi to Fujiidera in Osaka Prefecture. It bears an authentic blue 1.5-sen definitive stamp tied by a sharp, perfectly centered circular New Year’s Day commemorative date cancel (7.1.1 — January 1, 1932). The left margin features delicate red Art Nouveau-inspired flora framing the “CARTE POSTALE” header, alongside the publisher mark “TOKYO MATSUMURA / MADE IN JAPAN.”
A wonderfully preserved, lighthearted masterwork of early Showa graphic illustration and seasonal postal history.
Condition & Details
- Type: Vintage Illustrative New Year Greeting Postcard / Real Postal Correspondence
- Origin/Context: Tondabayashi to Fujiidera, Osaka Prefecture, New Year’s Day (January 1, 1932 / Showa 7)
- Markings:
- Front: Illustrated snow monkey reading postcards with New Year typography (“New Year’s Day, Showa 7” and “賀正”).
- Reverse: Blue 1.5-sen definitive stamp tied by crisp circular New Year’s Day date cancel (“7.1.1”); black sumi brush calligraphy; red publisher mark “Tokyo Matsumura / Made in Japan”.
- Condition: Excellent vintage condition. The cardstock is clean, firm, and bright with minimal age toning. Both the color artwork on the front and the calligraphy on the reverse remain sharp, rich, and well-preserved.
- Includes: Comes carefully packed in a protective archival sleeve with rigid backing to ensure safe transit.
Shipping & Payment
- Payment: Secure checkout powered by Stripe. All major credit cards accepted.
- Fulfillment: Ships directly from Japan via Japan Post with end-to-end tracking. Every order is dispatched within 3 business days, and your tracking number will be sent directly to your email as soon as it’s on its way.
- Shipping Notice: To ensure maximum care, archival safety, and accurate weight-based insurance for each distinct historical artifact, all items are packaged and shipped individually (no combined shipping available).