Furoshiki is the eco-friendly wrapping cloth. Although possibly dating back as far as the Nara period (feudal period), Furoshiki means "bath spread"- they were used to bundle and protect people's clothing at public bath houses). Before becoming associated with public baths, furoshiki was known as hiradzutsumi, or flat folded bundle. Eventually, the furoshiki’s usage extended to serve as a means for merchants to transport their wares or to protect and decorate a gift. Bbut over the years, their standard use has been to tie up any bundle you can imagine (they've even been used as baby carriers). The word is pronounced something like "f'-ROHSH-kee".
Modern furoshiki can be made of a variety of cloths, including silk, cotton, rayon, and nylon. Furoshiki are often decorated with traditional designs or by shibori, chirimen. There is no one set size for furoshiki, they can range from hand sized to larger than bed-sheets. The most common sizes are 45cm and 68-72cm. wikipedia
Various Design of Cloth
Featured Technique
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Modern Furoshiki used for laptop/notebook computers and contemporary techniques combines handles for easy carrying.
Sources:
http://furoshiki.com/
http://9brand.com/en/work/standard/furoshiki/index.html
http://layersofmeaning.org/wp/?p=325
http://www.infomapjapan.com/hstore/200709-infospecial.phtml
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