Details

Furoshiki literally means 'bath spread', and as the name suggests, these cloths were orignally used in the 17th and 18th centuries for bundling up the various bits and pieces and garments taken to the public baths, and for laying out on the floor when dressing after one's bath. Furoshiki were sometimes used as a flannel while in the bath or for drying off one's feet afterwards, serving as a bathtowel as we now know it. From the 19th century onwards, however, furoshiki became treasured as cloths for wrapping, carrying and covering, and were also used for publicity, and could be given as gifts. In this regard, they have continued to exist right down to the present day as essential goods for daily living.

Wrapping, carrying, covering, laying out, and decorating. This single square piece of fabric with its unnumerable uses is an efficient yet beautiful part of Japanese culture. Strewn with pattern and colour, the cloths have a profound traditional meaning. And, while they may have lost favour to bags, plastics and papers in recent times, a renewed interest and love for furoshiki is now mounting.

People are now starting to look anew at these furoshiki that enrich and enhance our daily lives with their multitude of functions. Furoshiki could be such an asset to the eco-activities that are burgeoning worldwide as people eschew waste and aspire to lifestyles of health and sustainability.

Furoshiki are enchanting cloths that can be used to wrap absolutely anything, from spherical objects, to long narrow objects, to square objects. They can also be conveniently carried around for use as everyday shopping bags, holdalls for commuting or travel, or tools for providing help in an emergency.

By reading this book, not only will you learn about the wrapping techniques used by the furoshiki masters, but you will also come to fully understand the rich and varied world of these wonderful cloths.