A Tenugui (手拭い) is a thin Japanese hand towel made of cotton. It is typically about 35 by 90 centimeters (1′ x 3′ )plain woven and is almost always printed with some pattern. Today towels made from terry cloth have replaced many of its use in the household. Tenugui has had a meandering history that includes ritual, practical and decorative uses. then more practically as a wrapping, business card, hand towel, bandage, or sweatband often worn around the head, most famously by samurai fighters. Many textile designers have designed tenugui because it offers an opportunity to use many textile techniques: shibori, screen printing, painting, block printing and batik.
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These towels are from the collection of Elaine Blythe
