respectfully presented; salutation in a formal letter
Archaic expression used as a salutation in formal letters, meaning 'respectfully presented' or 'I humbly submit this to you'. Not used in modern everyday correspondence.
古い手紙の書き方の本には、「敬呈」を書き出しに使う例が載っている。
In old letter-writing manuals, there are examples using 敬呈 as a salutation.
Composed of 敬 (respect) and 呈 (present, offer). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows the pattern of classical Chinese-influenced letter salutations.