Tenugui
A tenugui ( Japanese 手 拭 い , more often 手 ぬ ぐ い , towel ) is a traditional Japanese towel made of thin cotton fabric, usually printed in color, and usually around 30 × 90 cm in size. The long sides are secured by selvedges , the short ones are simply cut off, so that the Tenugui frays a little when in use.
Tenugui became popular in Japan in the Edo period , when the strict code of conduct was relaxed somewhat and the simple population was allowed to use cotton for the first time. It was used as a promotional tool by kabuki actors whose images or coats of arms were printed on it, and as such it gained unimagined popularity, so that it is also shown on ukiyo-e images.
There are two basic techniques for coloring Tenugui: Chūsen ( 注 染 , also called Honzome ( 本 染 め )) and Nassen ( 捺 染 ). With the Chūsen technique, the areas that are not to be colored are covered with starch. The cloth is then placed in a dye bath and the starch is washed out with water at the end. With the wet technique, a stencil is placed on the fabric and the paint is applied by hand with a squeegee. This process is repeated for each individual color and then the cloth is steamed to preserve the colors. Finally, the cloth is washed in cold water and dried. Both types of dyeing can be distinguished from the fact that cloths dyed with the Chūsen technique are dyed through on both sides, while cloths dyed with the Nassen technique are only dyed on one side.
The word tenugui means wiping hands , but tenugui has been and is used in a variety of ways. They were, for example, as dust and sun protection such as a scarf or as Hachimaki ( 鉢巻 , headband tied) around the head as children's yukata sewn or - if they are older and unattractive - used as a simple filter.
Today tenugui are rarely found in Japanese households, but older people in particular like to take them with them on hikes in summer. They are also popular as collector's items or souvenirs. In the Japanese fencing sport kendō , a tenugui is worn on the head under the men (head protection and part of the bōgu ). This is how it is used in Japan, also called Mentauru (Men-Towel). It serves as a sweat catcher and for shock absorption in the event of a hit by the opposing fencing stick, the Shinai ( 竹刀 ).
literature
- Akira Iwata: Shirushibanten tenugui . Shinshindo, Tokyo 1989, ISBN 4-397-50287-0 (roughly "The Traditional Towel")
- Kawakami Keiji: Tenugui fuzoki emaki . Jusankaku Shuppan, Tokyo 1975 (roughly "the towel in tradition")