Fukusa (Gift Cover)
late Edo period (1789–1868)/ Meiji period (1868–1912), 19th century
Medium
Mon side: silk, plain weave with creped wefts (chirimen); embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered–paper strip wrapped cotton in laidwork and couching; patterned side: silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered–paper strip wrapped cotton and wrapped silk, slit and single dovetailed tapestry weave (tsuzure); Sewn with lining extending beyond front equally along edges of all sides (Shihôhi); silk, running “controlling” stitches along all edges; corner: silk cords of 1:1 oblique interlacing over cotton core; 1:1 oblique interlaced over silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper strip wrapped silk replied fringe tassels
Dimensions
86.7 × 79.1 cm (34 1/8 × 31 1/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
183454
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...