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Orientations | Volume 55 Number 4 | JULY/AUGUST 2024 Fukusa: Japanese Gift Covers from the Chris Hall Collection Louise Lui The act of gifting is deeply ingrained and takes many forms across histories and cultures. Gifts reflect who we are and bind us together. The way something is given is equally significant, as it is often the customs and accoutrements of gifting that transform objects into gifts. In Japan, squares of lined silk called fukusa were used to cover and exchange formal gifts. Exquisitely embroidered, woven, painted, and dyed, fukusa are some of the finest examples of Japanese textile artistry. Although largely overlooked in the study of Japanese art today, fukusa were ubiquitous in the Edo (1603–1868), Meiji (1868–1912), and Taishō (1912–26) periods. They facilitated the exchange of gifts and honoured both the giver and the recipient through their design. In the late 19th century, fukusa were also highly successful exports that played a role in defining Japan as it emerged as a global power. On view at the Peranakan Museum, Singapore, ‘Fukusa: Japanese Gift Covers from the Chris Hall Collection’ traces the use and changing significance of fukusa from the late 18th to the early 20th century, as Japan transformed from a relatively isolated island nation to a key player on the world stage. It celebrates a gift of Japanese art from the renowned textile collector Chris Hall to the Asian Civilisations Museum. The practice of formally presenting gifts covered with fukusa began in the late 17th or early 18th century. The term fukusa was originally an adjective meaning ‘soft’ or ‘informal’. Today, it encompasses textile gift covers as well as cloths used in Japanese tea ceremonies. To distinguish between the two, the 112 1 An illustration of a lady carrying a gift tray covered with a fukusa, from Ten Thousand Leaf Instructions for Women (Onna manyō keiko sōshi) By Nishikawa Sukenobu (1671–1750), 1728 Woodblock-printed book Waseda University Library, Tokyo Photo courtesy of Waseda University Library

gift covers are sometimes called kake fukusa. This term was coined about 1955, when a commodity tax was imposed on fukusa and manufacturers had to define what a fukusa was (Takemura, 1991, p. 124). Fukusa differ from the more commonly known furoshiki, which are typically made of unlined cotton or hemp and are used in daily life to wrap and carry objects. The earliest surviving examples of fukusa belonged to Zuishun’in (Oden no Kata, 1658–1738), the favoured concubine of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (r. 1680–1709), the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa regime. These fukusa covered the seasonal gifts Tsunayoshi presented to her, which she donated in 1713 to the Kombu’in Temple in Nara (Kirihata, 1992). Initially, fukusa were used in gifting ceremonies by the ruling warrior class (samurai) and nobility. Gift exchange involving fukusa formed part of a complex web of reciprocal obligations to maintain and cultivate relationships, which were central to social stability in the Edo period. Understanding the etiquette of gift-giving was expected of the sophisticated elite and aspiring commoners (Guth, 2024, p. 14) (fig. 1). By the early 19th century, wellto-do merchants had embraced the lifestyle and customs of the upper classes, including exchanging fukusa. This practice continued among wealthier members of Japanese society throughout the Meiji period and well into the 20th century, although how they were used may have varied over time. Fukusa were used for many occasions. Besides regular events like seasonal festivities, they also celebrated and commemorated personal milestones such as births, new beginnings, weddings, educational and professional accomplishments, old age, and sometimes death. Scholars have likened fukusa to modern greeting cards, as each cover was carefully chosen to evoke the circumstance of the gift (Hays and Hays, 1983, p. 10). The presentation differed slightly depending on the occasion, but fukusa were almost always returned to the giver. Occasionally, a fukusa decorated with a specific seasonal pattern was part of the gift, such as the fukusa presented to Zuishun’in. The gift was usually 2 Fukusa with two lobsters Japan; late Edo (1603–1868) or Meiji (1868–1912) period, 19th century Gold thread and embroidery on silk satin; 69 x 70 cm Asian Civilisations Museum, Gift of Chris Hall placed on a lacquer box or tray and covered with a draped or folded fukusa. The recipient would accept the gift and admire the cover, and only then was the sentiment behind the gift fully realized. A small return gift was placed on the tray or box, covered by the same fukusa, and sent back to the giver (Takemura, 1991, pp. 101, 126, 176). Paradoxically, a fukusa concealed the gift while revealing its significance through the design, serving as a form of intellectual exchange between the two parties. Each fukusa conveyed a sentiment or message, often through symbolic motifs or complex allusions, and a gift was not considered successful unless the recipient understood the meaning behind the decoration. Some designs were more explicit than others. For example, objects associated with certain occasions became part of the standard lexicon of fukusa designs. A fukusa decorated with lobsters (ise ebi) was used for New Year gifts, as lobsters symbolize the Ise shrine, a popular destination for New Year pilgrimages (fig. 2). Emblems of longevity frequently featured in fukusa used in milestone 113

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Orientations | Volume 55 Number 4 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

Fukusa: Japanese Gift Covers from the Chris Hall Collection Louise Lui

The act of gifting is deeply ingrained and takes many forms across histories and cultures. Gifts reflect who we are and bind us together. The way something is given is equally significant, as it is often the customs and accoutrements of gifting that transform objects into gifts. In Japan, squares of lined silk called fukusa were used to cover and exchange formal gifts. Exquisitely embroidered, woven, painted, and dyed, fukusa are some of the finest examples of Japanese textile artistry.

Although largely overlooked in the study of Japanese art today, fukusa were ubiquitous in the Edo (1603–1868), Meiji (1868–1912), and Taishō (1912–26) periods. They facilitated the exchange of gifts and honoured both the giver and the recipient through their design. In the late 19th century, fukusa were also highly successful exports that played a role in defining Japan as it emerged as a global power. On view at the Peranakan Museum, Singapore, ‘Fukusa: Japanese Gift Covers from the Chris Hall Collection’ traces the use and changing significance of fukusa from the late 18th to the early 20th century, as Japan transformed from a relatively isolated island nation to a key player on the world stage. It celebrates a gift of Japanese art from the renowned textile collector Chris Hall to the Asian Civilisations Museum.

The practice of formally presenting gifts covered with fukusa began in the late 17th or early 18th century. The term fukusa was originally an adjective meaning ‘soft’ or ‘informal’. Today, it encompasses textile gift covers as well as cloths used in Japanese tea ceremonies. To distinguish between the two, the

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1 An illustration of a lady carrying a gift tray covered with a fukusa, from Ten Thousand Leaf Instructions for Women (Onna manyō keiko sōshi) By Nishikawa Sukenobu (1671–1750), 1728 Woodblock-printed book Waseda University Library, Tokyo Photo courtesy of Waseda University Library

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