February 18, 2022
Keio University
In the Edo period, it became fashionable to appreciate and collect fragments of incomplete calligraphic works, known as *kohitsugire*. These fragments were treated as works of art, leading to the establishment of the Kohitsu families (*kohitsuke*), who made a profession of authenticating handwriting.
The "Century Akao Collection," donated to Keio University by the Century Cultural Foundation in 2021, contains a vast and cohesive body of materials and records accumulated by the main Kohitsu family over approximately 300 years of authentication activities, from the early Edo to the Showa period. While these materials are currently being organized, their academic value is immeasurable. This exhibition will feature a portion of the collection for the first time, along with works from Keio University's own holdings, to introduce the activities of the Kohitsu families and the culture of connoisseurship.
Please see below for the full press release.