Almost every surviving Japanese furoshiki is indigo, or printed, or brown with age. This one is black. Woven in cotton around the Taisho era and dyed the same deep black used for noragi work jackets, it is the kind of cloth that was made to be used rather than admired, and it survived anyway.

A furoshiki is a square cloth used in Japan to wrap, carry, and protect things, long before shopping bags existed. This one has aged into something better than it started as. The black has faded unevenly, the cotton has softened, and kanji written in one corner give the whole cloth an off-centre accent that no reproduction would ever think to include.

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At roughly 125 by 135 cm it is large enough to hang on a wall as a piece of textile art, to throw over a table or a chair back, or to wear loosely as a stole. It also works as material for a remake project, though a cloth this scarce is arguably worth keeping whole.

Black cotton furoshiki of this age are harder to find than boro or sashiko, and the supply does not replenish. As Japanese vintage textiles gain ground with collectors and designers in Europe and North America, plain, honest, hard-used cloth like this is exactly what is disappearing fastest.

One piece only. This is a genuine vintage textile, and no second example exists. Once it is gone, it will not return to the store.

Product Details

• Era: Around the Taisho era
• Material: Cotton
• Colour: Black, naturally faded
• Detail: Kanji written in one corner

Size

• Approx. 125 cm × 135 cm (approx. 49 in × 53 in)

Please allow for slight measurement errors.

Condition

This piece has moderate signs of use, including tears, small holes, discolouration, and fabric slippage. Please examine all photos carefully before purchasing. As this is an antique textile, please order only if you understand and accept the character of aged cloth.

The item will be compressed for shipping, which may cause wrinkles.

Buying From Japan

Every piece at NAMBA SHOUTEN is sourced, inspected, photographed, and shipped by us from Japan. We describe condition honestly, including the flaws, because a vintage textile that hides its history is not worth owning. Orders ship worldwide with tracking.

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For questions about sizing, international shipping, customs, and returns, please visit our FAQ.