event details

Elegant Art of Japanese Furoshiki

Saturday, July 10, 2:30 pm

North Building, Lower Level

Akiko Sakai, Naomi Ando, and Keiko Fukuda from the Furoshiki Study Group will discuss and demonstrate the use of furoshiki. Furoshiki are simple square pieces of cloth dyed in various colors and patterns that are used for wrapping and carrying items, as table coverings, and for other interior decoration.

The history of furoshiki began in the Edo Period (1603-1868), when public bathhouses became widely accessible. People called the cloth they used at bathhouses furoshiki (literally meaning “bath mat”). First used to wrap up clothes after stepping out of the bath, the squares were eventually used by merchants to carry other things. The tradition was handed down as an indispensable aspect of Japanese lifestyle through many generations.

The custom and culture of furoshiki faded over time, but in the late 1970s campaigns to protect the environment and a renewed appreciation of Japanese culture led to its rediscovery and a growth of creative new ideas for furoshiki.

2:30–4 pm

Free with general admission, but reservations required. Email cgjd-jnow@qwest.net for reservations.

Organized by the Consulate-General of Japan and the Japan Foundation. Sponsored by the DAM's Asian Art Department.