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Description
Fukusa are finely woven silk cloths designed for purifying tea utensils. The host folds and refolds the fukusa many times during the tea procedure (temae). This woman's fukusa is decorated with Chinese-style characters that read "showa ken", or Pine Harmony Arbor. The characters are placed so that they are revealed when the cloth is folded by the host. This fukusa may have been a gift in rememberence of a visit to a particular tearoom. Just as the fan (sensu) has come to represent the guest, the fukusa serves to signify the host's role in a tea gathering. The informality of decorated fukusa make them appropriate for use in thin tea.
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