This orange silk fukusa (帛紗) is made from smooth, shioze silk dyed a vibrant vermillion red-orange, a colour traditionally used by women. With a thickness of 10 monme (10匁・10号 ~ 37g), it is a luxuriously heavy weight suitable for experienced tea practitioners.
A fukusa (帛紗) is an almost square silk purifying cloth roughly 28cm (11in) on each edge. It is made from a single piece of silk folded in half and sewn together on three sides, such that the final cloth is double-layered. Typically, men use plain purple fukusa, while women use plain red or orange/vermillion fukusa, though other colours and patterned fukusa can also be found. The cloth is used to ritually purify various utensils, such as the natsume, chaire, and chashaku. When not in use, it is kept tucked into the obi (帯 - kimono belt). For most schools it is worn on the left hand side, though warrior class schools such as Ueda Sōko and Enshu wear the fukusa on the right as to leave symbolic space for a katana which would be worn tucked into the obi on the left.
Dimensions:
27.5cm (10.8in) - width
27.4cm (10.8in) - height
Condition: Like new
This vintage Japanese item ships from the United States
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