#fukusa

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston display

1 Gift cover (fukusa)

Japan, Meiji era, late 19th - early 20th c.

Silk satin embroidered w/silk & metallic threads

“For several centuries, silk covers or fukusa were draped over gifts to be presented on lacquer trays during weddings and other special ceremonies. The embroidered image of a parrot on a perch with feeder suspended by tasseled red cords on this fukusa was appropriate for an art form known for its depiction of the natural world. Lightly padded and backed with red crepe fabric brought to the front to frame the central image, it was designed to fall softly over a gift beneath with its gilt tassels slightly weighting each corner.”

2 Oscar de la Renta (American, b. Dominican Republic, 1932-2014)

Woman's ensemble in 3 parts, 1980s

“Born Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo in Santo Domingo, de la Renta was a renowned American couturier and ready-to-wear designer. Trained by the great Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972), he rose to international acclaim in the 1960s and dressed numerous American first ladies, from Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama. From power suits to couture gowns, de la Renta often used a variety of birds in his designs, as an intricate embroidery, a romantic textile design, or an oversized applique.

Fukusa with Carp in Waves (波鯉図刺繍袱紗) - details

Gift cover (Japanese, 19th century).

White silk crêpe gift cover, printed and embroidered with blue, red, green, violet, brown and gold.

波鯉図刺繍袱紗 Fukasa embroidered with waves and carp, Japan, ca. 1860

Cleveland Art Museum

Provenance: donated by Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916

87.3 x 71.8 cm (34 3/8 x 28 1/4 in.)

Fukusa (袱紗), is a type of embroidered satin silk cloth traditionally used in Japan for wrapping gifts. Eminent artists were commissioned to design these textiles and each work is an original creation. The practice of covering a gift became widespread during the Edo period (1615–1867). The scene or the motifs depicted on fukusa are chosen to indicate either the occasion for which the gift is being given, or because they are appropriate for one of the annual festivals, when gifts are exchanged.

Fukusa (gift cover) Decorated with cranes , Artis unknown, Japan (Kyoto?), 1840-1870 ( Edo period), Satin silk with embroidery in silk and metallic thread, 84 x 67 cm,  Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK.

Fukusa 袱紗 /  帛紗  /  服紗