fukusa (ceremonial gift-wrapping cloth)

fukusa (ceremonial gift-wrapping cloth) , late 1700s or early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Where object was made: Japan

Material/technique: crepe; chain stitch; silk; couching; gold thread; embroidering; satin

Dimensions:
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 73.75 x 71.25 cm
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 74 x 71.5 cm excluding tassels
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 28 x 29 in

Credit line: Gift in memory of James H. Walker Jr., by his family

Accession number: 1993.0355

Not on display

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Label texts

Exhibition Label:
“Flowers, Dragons and Pine Trees: Asian Textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art,” Nov-2005, Mary Dusenbury
In the context of a wedding fukusa, the pair of lobsters depicted here represents the primordial couple, the ancient Japanese deities Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto, whose union produced the islands of Japan. The bent back of the lobster also suggests extreme old age and thus conveys wishes for a long life.