Furoshiki picnics—the thrill, the promise, the surprise, of opening them.
The kimono salesman who sold his wares at the house where I stayed when I first came to Japan in 1962 would carry his whole shop’s inventory tied in a furoshiki on his back. Upon entering the tatami-matted room he would open his furoshiki and, with a flourish, roll the splashy bolts of kimono silk out onto the mat to show the full length of his treasures.
Art dealers keep their treasures in bright yellow squares of cotton furoshiki. I know the package contains something special when I see that distinctive color.
Huge furoshiki are used to wrap futon bedding. They are stored away in a closet when not in use.
Antique dealers at the flea markets transport their goods to the weekly markets in faded furoshiki. Here it is important not to judge the content by its cover. Furoshiki mismatches often make for surprises.
A furoshiki wrapped the ashes of the son of our beloved contractor Tazaki-san. We had gone to the interment, and as we were heading for home the elder son met us. He was carrying his brother’s ashes in a silver brocade furoshiki, and he asked if we would please give them both a ride to the cemetery. His brother had always loved old cars, and he wanted his brother’s last ride to be in our old sports car.
One of my closest friends, Harumi Nibe, is a flower lover. She finds amazing wild flowers by the roadside and also grows her own flowers. For years she came to Blue & White once or twice a week to arrange her green offerings of the season. To see her arrive at the door with her plaid, worn furoshiki filled with leaves and blossoms—gifts of nature—was always exciting. And when she opened the furoshiki, it was filled with joy and vibrancy (and often bugs and spiders and other insects). This was a furoshiki of life itself.
To wrap the world with words is easy. But to wrap life in a small square of cloth is unbelievable.
The Versatility of Furoshiki 1
One piece of fabric can be transformed in a variety of ways depending on what is being wrapped. It is truly ever-changing!
One cloth seven ways—about 28in (70cm) polyester wrapping cloth
The Versatility of Furoshiki 2
How would you carry these things?
Simply by tying three knots, a furoshiki can be shaped to carry almost anything. (See page 43)
Furoshiki in just three knots—about 36in (90cm) acetate wrapping cloth
The Versatility of Furoshiki 3
Even when the shape and wrapping style are the same, different furoshiki designs express different moods.
Framed 枠取り Wakudori
Main design 主柄 Omogara
Same shape, different moods—27in (68cm) rayon wrapping cloth
Reversible 両面 Ryomen
Vertical design 縦替り Tategawari
The Versatility of Furoshiki 4
Creative finishing enables a wide variety of arrangements.
1. Put one corner over the ma-musubi knot, as if hiding it.
2. Fold the corner out and put the tip of the corner through the knot so that it looks like a flower. The flower part is the reverse side of the fabric.
3. Tie a ma-musubi knot (see page 15) and fix the two corners so that they stand in the middle.
Five creative finishing knots—approximately 18in (45cm) cotton wrapping cloth
No. 3 is the basic form of wrapping. See page 69 for steps.
4. Wrap the two standing corners around your finger and push the tip into the knot.
5. Fold the two corners toward the middle of the knot and push them into it (see page 69).
6. Fold the far corner into the middle of the knot and fold the near corner down.
See the following page for details of ma-musubi knot.
The Versatility of Furoshiki 5
A furoshiki has a variety of expressions depending on how it is wrapped. You can adjust the image to suit the content or the person who receives the gift.
Four ways to wrap a bottle—about 28in (70cm) polyester wrapping cloth
The Basic Knot
The knot is the key element in creating various forms of wrapping using a furoshiki. By mastering the knots, you will be able to truly understand the power of the furoshiki.
How to tie a ma-musubi knot
Once you have tied a ma-musubi knot, it will not come undone. And when you want to untie it, you can do so very simply and quickly.
1. Hold two diagonally opposite corners of the furoshiki, one in each hand.
2. Cross corner (a) over corner (b).
3. Fold (b) over and then under and behind (a).