Japanese Fabric Vintage | Yukata & Tenugui Patchwork Cloth, Mid-Showa, 158 × 157cm
Yukata and tenugui are summer cloth. The yukata — the unlined cotton kimono worn at festivals, at the bathhouse, in the heat of the Japanese summer — is made from cotton that is light, soft, and printed with the particular patterns that the summer season calls for: bold, graphic, designed to be seen in motion. The tenugui — the thin cotton hand towel that is also a headband, a wrapping cloth, a gift, a decoration — is made from cotton that is even lighter, woven to dry quickly and feel cool against the skin.
This large cloth is made from both. Someone in mid-Showa Japan took pieces of yukata and tenugui-like cotton textiles and stitched them together into a single cloth of approximately 158 × 157 cm — a near-perfect square of assembled summer fabric, with different patterns and colors on each side. This is not boro: it is not the record of repairs made to a cloth that was wearing out. It is composition: the deliberate assembly of different fabrics into a new whole, with attention to how the patterns and colors relate to each other on both faces of the cloth.
Yukata and Tenugui: The Fabrics of Japanese Summer
Yukata cotton is designed to be printed. The patterns that appear on yukata — bold geometric forms, stylized flowers, abstract designs derived from traditional Japanese motifs — are printed onto the cloth before it is cut and sewn, and the printing is part of what makes yukata cotton distinctive: the colors are clear and direct, the patterns are graphic rather than subtle, the overall effect is of cloth that is meant to be seen and enjoyed rather than simply worn.
Tenugui cotton is designed to be used. Woven from thin, loosely twisted threads, it is the most practical of Japanese cottons: it dries quickly, it softens with washing, it can be cut without fraying because the weave holds the threads in place without hemming. Tenugui patterns — when they exist — tend toward the graphic and the bold, designed to read clearly on a cloth that will be folded, tied, and handled constantly.
Together, these two fabrics bring different qualities to the patchwork: the yukata cotton contributes its printed patterns and its particular softness; the tenugui-like cotton contributes its lightness and its practical texture. The combination produces a cloth that is soft, varied, and visually interesting on both sides.
Both Sides: A Cloth with Two Faces
The patchwork has been assembled with attention to both sides. The different patterns and colors that appear on each face of the cloth are not accidental — they are the result of decisions made about which fabrics to place where, how the patterns relate to each other across the seams, how the overall composition reads when the cloth is turned over. This is a cloth that rewards looking at from both sides.
For use as a tablecloth or sofa cover, the two-sided quality means that the cloth can be reversed to present a different face — a different combination of patterns and colors — without replacing it. For use as a wall hanging, the choice of which side to display is itself a design decision. For use as material for remake projects, both sides offer different pattern combinations that can be cut and assembled in different ways.
158 × 157cm: Scale and Versatility
At 158 × 157 cm, this cloth is large enough to function as a tablecloth for a substantial table, a sofa cover for a two-seater, a wall hanging of real presence, or a source of material for significant remake projects. The near-square format is versatile: it can be oriented in any direction without losing its proportional balance, and it can be folded in half to create a double-layered cloth of approximately 79 × 157 cm or 158 × 78 cm for uses that benefit from additional weight and opacity.
The sturdy cotton weave — the practical quality of both yukata and tenugui cotton — means that the cloth holds up to the uses it is put to. As a tablecloth, it can be washed. As a sofa cover, it can be removed and replaced. As material for remake projects — tote bags, cushion covers, handmade accessories — it can be cut and sewn without losing its integrity.
Details and Condition
Size: approx. 158 cm × 157 cm / 62.2 in × 61.8 in. Material: cotton (yukata and tenugui-like textiles). Era: mid-Showa.
Pinholes and stains consistent with age. Washed twice prior to listing. A faint vintage scent may remain. Shipped compressed — wrinkles may occur. One of a kind.