Fukusa (Gift Cover)
late Edo period (1789–1868)/ Meiji period (1868–1912), 19th century
Medium
Patterned side: silk, warp-float faced 4:1 satin weave (shusu); embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper strip wrapped silk and wrapped cotton in back, Chinese knot, single satin and satin stitches; laidwork, paper padded laidwork and couching; Lining: silk, plain weave with creped wefts (chirimen); sewn with lining extending beyond front equally along edges of all sides (Shihôhi); silk, running “controlling” stitches along all edges; corners: silk, four-strand square braid; knotted atop open buttonhole filling stitch covered form terminating in replied fringe
Dimensions
76.2 × 69 cm (30 × 27 1/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
183420
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...