An Exuberantly Designed Tsutsugaki Furoshiki: Chrysanthemums

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
52" x 48", 132 cm x 122 cm

This is a tsutsugaki--freehand, paste resist dyed--furoshiki, a furoshiki being a traditional Japanese wrapping, hauling or storage cloth.

The cotton which is the base for this furoshiki is beautifully soft in the hand because it is hand woven from hand spun yarns. 

The design is dynamic. It shows rangey and exuberantly designed stylized chrysanthemums against a background of arabesque. The line quality of the tsutsugaki drawing is bold and sure.

The design fits a bit awkwardly onto the surface of the furoshiki especially considering the top edge where it seems to spill over in a way that is not intentional. Very likely this furoshiki was cut down from a larger size or the four panels used do construct his were cribbed from another type of cloth and reformatted to become a furoshiki.

There are a few stitched mendings to the surface (one is shown on the accompanying detail photo) and a small hole or two. Otherwise this cloth is in bright, used condition with a slightly distended center area which is common for old furoshiki that have been used hard.

Recommended.