Pop Japan

The Tenugui or the traditional Japanese hand towels are said to be used in Japan since the Nara period. Being made of flat-woven cotton, tenuguis have become a part of a normal Japanese life: from household use to fashion accessories. Normally around 90 cm x 35 cm in size, tenuguis have been widely used for drying hands and for kitchen work. But since tenuguis are thin and soft, the Japanese has developed a way to print designs on it, making them useful as fashion accessories as well.

The art of printing onto the Tenuguis start with cutting a stencil design from paper. Resist compounds are then applied to the designs to prevent colors from spreading onto the cloth. The pattern is then fastened on a wooden frame to be ready for printing.

Tags: tradition, art, tenugui, japanese hand towels, stencil design printing, nara period, household use, fashio accessories, kitchen work