Fukusa (Gift Cover)
late Edo period (1789–1868)/ Meiji period (1868–1912), 19th century
Medium
Mon side: silk, warp-faced, weft ribbed plain weave (shioze); dye extracted through stenciled chemical dye stripper (bassen); patterned side: cotton, silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper strip wrapped silk, slit tapestry weave with wrapped outlining wefts (tsuzure); paper interlining; Sewn with front and lining matched in size (Tachikiri awase); corners: silk, gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper strip wrapped silk, tubular 1:1 oblique interlacing over cotton core, knotted; silk-wrapped cotton ball and re-plied silk, gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper strip wrapped silk fringe tassels
Dimensions
68 × 60.7 cm (26 3/4 × 23 7/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
183426
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...