A Mid Century Furoshiki: Lovely Traditional Design

ca. mid twentieth century
43" x 45", 109 cm x 114 cm

A furoshiki is a traditional Japanese utilitarian cloth that is used for the storage or transportation of things.  Furoshiki come in all sizes and they serve a variety of purposes: small, silk, furoshiki are used for the presentation of gifts, while cotton ones are generally used for storage and work, the larger ones containing bundles of things.

This attractively resist dyed, larger-sized cotton example was no doubt used for storage or transport.  It is a rather "young" textile meaning that it is made from commercially produced cotton and it is machine stitched.  The resisted graphics, no doubt, were done using a hands-on process.

The design is really lovely: an oversized pair of pine needles defines the right-hand third of the cloth and it separates the two color areas.  Within the salmon colored corner we see a resist dyed pine cone another pair of pine needles.  In the opposing corner is the name of a family or a business.

In nice, used condition, this is a still-sturdy furoshiki with a very elegant design.