Tenugui Cloth - New Year's Pattern

Tenugui are traditional Japanese towels that have so many different uses – fold it into a small pouch for your glasses or use it as a place mat. It is as beautiful as it is practical.

This special Tenugui features the horse, the zodiac animal for 2026, along with the auspicious motif “Uma ku iku” (“Horse Nine, Go Long”), a wordplay meaning “may everything go smoothly”. Depicted amongst shogi pieces, the horse dances lightly and gallops freely, and the nine horses symbolise the wish that all will go well.

These tenugui have been produced by Marukyu Shoten in Tokyo. Founded in 1899, all the fabric is hand-dyed by a small team of artisans.

All the prints are traditional Japanese patterns found on Yukata, cotton summer Kimono. Marukyu Shoten uses a dyeing technique called chusen, which uses paper stencils called ise katagami, designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan.

Tenugui have existed since the Heian era (794–1185 A.D.). Originally used for ceremonies and considered a luxurious item, they became more widely used as mass production of cloth developed, eventually becoming a staple of Japanese households.

These 100% cotton, hand-dyed cloths have a myriad of uses. The fabric comes with a pattern to make an Azuma Bag – perfect for carrying a bento box or other items – but that needn’t be the only option. You can fold your tenugui into a headband or scarf, turn it into a small pouch for glasses or a phone, or even use it as a place mat or tea towel.

As they are 100% cotton, tenugui can be washed time and time again, the fabric becoming softer with each wash. Tenugui really is such a versatile and sustainable material.

Size:
Approximately 90 cm × 34 cm