Painting with Thread: The Art and Culture of Fukusa

Commemorating the recent donation of The Peter and Beverly Sinton Japanese Gift and Altar Cover Collection, this exhibition showcases the art of gift-giving through the beauty of fukusa. Fukusa are ornate textiles traditionally made of Japanese silk that were draped over formal gifts and presented amongst prominent families during the Edo period (1603 Ð 1868) through Taish_ period (1912-1926) in Japan. A fukusa could be embellished through weaving, dyeing, painting and embroidery or sometimes a combination of techniques. The fukusa was often not part of the gift, but an important aspect of the gift-giving ritual and would be returned to the original owner often with a small reciprocal gift. Simplified versions of this practice remain in Japan today to commemorate weddings, births and funerals.