Wooden board (327 x 229 x 20 mm.), title carved at top of one side "Shin tsujiura" [trans.: "New Fortunes"] by FORTUNE COOKIE WOODBLOCK BOARD

12 columns long, 8 columns wide on one side; 16 columns long, 8 columns wide on the other side, each column within a border, carved on both sides. Japan: late Edo. A fine example of a wood block board, carved with 224 fortunes (96 on one side and 128 on the other). The printed fortunes, known as tsujiura, are small pieces of paper inserted in edible crackers (senbei). The slips of paper produced from this board each measure 26 x 26 mm. and 28 x 19 mm. after trimming. Fortune cookies were, in fact, invented in Kyoto, and the tradition of American Chinese restaurants serving fortune cookies was derived from Japanese immigrants. Some of the fortunes include "Somebody is watching you," "Don't fight," "Fall in love," "Sleep longer," "Find someone compatible," etc. In fine condition. The board has a 70 mm. crack.