Fukusa (Gift Cover)
Appliqued fabric: Edo period (1615–1868), late 18th century Mounting fabric: Meiji period (1868–1912), 1868/83
Medium
Patterned side: silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave self-pattered by areas of weft-float faced 1:3 'Z' twill interlacings; appliquéd with silk and gold-leaf-over- lacquered-paper-strip wrapped silk in surface satin stitches; laid work and couching; lined with silk, plain weave with creped wefts (chirimen) (possibly dyed with safflower (beni); interlined with cotton, plain weave; sewn with padded lining extending beyond front at center on all four sides (Yatsuzuma); silk, running "controlling" stitches along all edges; silk, knotted, cut fringe tassels
Dimensions
57.5 × 56.5 cm (22 5/8 × 22 1/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
157668
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...