Tenugui

A tenugui (手拭) is the famous Japanese cotton towel. The ordinary size of a tenugui is about 35 cm x 90 cm so it's a rectangle. It is usually used as a washcloth, as a head covering during the work in the rice fields for example, as a dishcloth, or as a headband during a festival or simply as a decoration. In addition, since very ancient times the Japanese appreciate the hot bath (especially 'onsen') and during the baths they use a tenugui to wipe or refresh the head by having it folded and moistened which would avoid discomforts related to volcanic water which is too hot.
At the very beginning (around the Heian period (794-1185), the tenugui was made of silk or linen because the cotton fabric was paradoxically more expensive than silk and linen at that time. During the Edo period (1603-1867) the cultivation of cotton has spread widely, so the tenugui is now made of cotton since that time and has gradually become a more decorative object and today it is a very special gift in Japan.
The means of dyeing the tenugui are divided into two great families: hand dyeing and printing. Hand dyeing is the traditional way that has been used for a long time, so it takes time. The tenugui dyes by hand with the following characteristics: colors can be rubbed off during the first wash because this method of hand dyeing is more fragile. Therefore we should avoid using hot water or washing it with the washing machine. On the other hand, the printing is a newer and modern method of its manufacture. The advantages of this method are the reduction of manufacturing time and the homogeneity of the product, because the articles are machine-made. Thanks to the manufacture by a machine, we can now produce this type of tenugui in larger quantities.
Generally the hand-dyed tenugui is more expensive than the printed one.
The patterns used on the tenugui are very varied and traditional of Japan: for example the flowers of the 4 seasons (cherry, iris, campanula, camellia, etc ...), animals, birds, lucky charms, paintings drawn by the painters known as Hokusai, Utamaro etc ... Especially the tenugui painted with pretty patterns can be ideal to decorate your room or the dining room or the living room, as well as to put on the table (the rendering is really beautiful) !